WOMEN prisoners taken to hospital to give birth will no longer be chained after their arrival, the British Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, announced in the Commons yesterday.
Mr Howard also disclosed in his statement that women in hospital for ante natal checks would not be restrained unless adjudged to be a particularly high risk, and he insisted that the moves struck "a reasonable balance on behalf of the public".
The shadow home secretary, Mr Jack Straw, drew loud Labour cheers when he told Mr Howard "You have been driven to this humiliating retreat not by decency or by compassion, but by panic at the avalanche of bad publicity."
Mr Howard's statement followed a sustained barrage of criticism of the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners in hospital, and an apology to the Commons last week by the Minister for Prisons, Ms Ann Widdecombe, for in correctly telling MPs that the London hospital dealing with pregnant inmates from Holloway Prison had not expressed concerns about the practice.
The Home Secretary said the Prison Service's acting director general, Mr Richard Tilt, had met the Royal College of Midwives' president, Ms Caroline Flint, on Monday to discuss the issue.
The college had asked for certain modifications to be made to the use of restraints on pregnant women, and the Prison Service had accepted its recommendations.
"In future, women taken from prison to hospital to give birth will normally be escorted by two female members of prison staff. In exceptional circumstances, where this is operationally not practicable, at least one will be female."
"No prison staff will be present in the delivery room unless the prisoner requests it."
Governors would continue to be encouraged to liaise with hospital managers and midwives on these and other security measures for women admitted to hospital to give birth, Mr Howard added.
The Prison Service had also reviewed its policy of applying physical restraints to other prisoners, Mr Howard told the House.