JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri lawmaker has introduced a bill that would address the issue of pregnant inmates being shackled and chained during labor.
The Columbia Missourian reports that the bill would ban a state correctional center or a city or county jail from using restraints on a woman in the third trimester of her pregnancy during medical care. It would also require correctional centers and jails to create policies for the care of pregnant inmates, including mental health evaluations, substance abuse treatment, dietary supplements and postpartum recovery.
Several people testified Thursday in support of Democratic Sen. Jamilah Nasheed's bill in front of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee.
The bill comes after the American Civil Liberties Union sued Jackson County on behalf of Megon Riedel, who was shackled during labor.
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Information from: Columbia Missourian, http://www.columbiamissourian.com