Florida Senate - 2011                             CS for SB 1086
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senator Hill
       
       
       
       
       591-02454A-11                                         20111086c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the restraint of incarcerated
    3         pregnant women; providing a short title; defining
    4         terms; prohibiting use of restraints on a prisoner
    5         known to be pregnant during labor, delivery, and
    6         postpartum recovery unless a corrections official
    7         makes an individualized determination that the
    8         prisoner presents an extraordinary circumstance
    9         requiring restraints; providing that a doctor, nurse,
   10         or other health care professional treating the
   11         prisoner may request that restraints not be used, in
   12         which case the corrections officer or other official
   13         accompanying the prisoner shall remove all restraints;
   14         requiring that any restraint applied must be done in
   15         the least restrictive manner necessary; requiring the
   16         corrections official to make written findings within
   17         10 days as to the extraordinary circumstance that
   18         dictated the use of restraints; restricting the use of
   19         waist, wrist, or leg and ankle restraints during the
   20         third trimester of pregnancy or when requested by a
   21         doctor, nurse, or other health care professional
   22         treating the prisoner; providing that the use of
   23         restraints at any time after it is known that a
   24         prisoner is pregnant must be by the least restrictive
   25         manner necessary in order to mitigate the possibility
   26         of adverse clinical consequences; requiring that the
   27         findings be kept on file by the correctional
   28         institution or detention facility for at least 5 years
   29         and be made available for public inspection under
   30         certain circumstances; authorizing any woman who is
   31         restrained in violation of the act to file a complaint
   32         within a specified period; providing that these
   33         remedies do not prevent a woman harmed from filing a
   34         complaint under any other relevant provision of
   35         federal or state law; directing the Department of
   36         Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice to
   37         adopt rules; requiring correctional institutions and
   38         detention facilities to inform female prisoners of the
   39         rules upon admission, include the policies and
   40         practices in the prisoner handbook, and post the
   41         policies and practices in the correctional institution
   42         or detention facility; requiring the Secretary of
   43         Corrections, the Secretary of Juvenile Justice, and
   44         county and municipal corrections officials to annually
   45         file written reports with the Executive Office of the
   46         Governor detailing each incident of restraint in
   47         violation of law or as an authorized exception;
   48         providing an effective date.
   49  
   50         WHEREAS, restraining a pregnant prisoner can pose undue
   51  health risks and increase the potential for physical harm to the
   52  woman and her pregnancy, and
   53         WHEREAS, the vast majority of female prisoners in this
   54  state are nonviolent offenders, and
   55         WHEREAS, the impact of such harm to a pregnant woman can
   56  negatively affect her pregnancy, and
   57         WHEREAS, freedom from physical restraints is especially
   58  critical during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery after
   59  delivery as women often need to move around during labor and
   60  recovery, including moving their legs as part of the birthing
   61  process, and
   62         WHEREAS, restraints on a pregnant woman can interfere with
   63  the medical staff’s ability to appropriately assist in
   64  childbirth or to conduct sudden emergency procedures, and
   65         WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States
   66  Marshals Service, the American Correctional Association, the
   67  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the
   68  American Public Health Association all oppose restraining women
   69  during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery because it is
   70  unnecessary and dangerous to a woman’s health and well-being,
   71  NOW, THEREFORE,
   72  
   73  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   74  
   75         Section 1. Shackling of incarcerated pregnant women.—
   76         (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Healthy
   77  Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act.”
   78         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   79         (a) “Correctional institution” means any facility under the
   80  authority of the department, the Department of Juvenile Justice,
   81  or a county or municipal detention facility, or operated by a
   82  private entity.
   83         (b) “Corrections official” means the official who is
   84  responsible for oversight of a correctional institution, or his
   85  or her designee.
   86         (c) “Department” means the Department of Corrections.
   87         (d) “Extraordinary circumstance” means a substantial flight
   88  risk or some other extraordinary medical or security
   89  circumstance that dictates restraints be used to ensure the
   90  safety and security of the prisoner, the staff of the
   91  correctional institution or medical facility, other prisoners,
   92  or the public.
   93         (e) “Labor” means the period of time before a birth during
   94  which contractions are of sufficient frequency, intensity, and
   95  duration to bring about effacement and progressive dilation of
   96  the cervix.
   97         (f) “Postpartum recovery” means, as determined by her
   98  physician, the period immediately following delivery, including
   99  the recovery period when a woman is in the hospital or infirmary
  100  following birth.
  101         (g) “Prisoner” means any person incarcerated or detained in
  102  any correctional institution who is accused of, convicted of,
  103  sentenced for, or adjudicated delinquent for a violation of
  104  criminal law or the terms and conditions of parole, probation,
  105  community control, pretrial release, or a diversionary program.
  106  For purposes of this section, the term includes any woman
  107  detained under the immigration laws of the United States at any
  108  correctional institution.
  109         (h) “Restraints” means any physical restraint or mechanical
  110  device used to control the movement of a prisoner’s body or
  111  limbs, including, but not limited to, flex cuffs, soft
  112  restraints, hard metal handcuffs, a black box, chubb cuffs, leg
  113  irons, belly chains, a security or tether chain, or a convex
  114  shield.
  115         (3) RESTRAINT OF PRISONERS.—
  116         (a) Restraints may not be used on a prisoner who is known
  117  to be pregnant during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery,
  118  unless the corrections official makes an individualized
  119  determination that the prisoner presents an extraordinary
  120  circumstance, except that:
  121         1. If the doctor, nurse, or other health care professional
  122  treating the prisoner requests that restraints not be used, the
  123  corrections officer, correctional institution employee, or other
  124  officer accompanying the pregnant prisoner shall remove all
  125  restraints; and
  126         2. Under no circumstances shall leg, ankle, or waist
  127  restraints be used on any pregnant prisoner who is in labor or
  128  delivery.
  129         (b) If restraints are used on a pregnant prisoner pursuant
  130  to paragraph (a):
  131         1. The type of restraint applied and the application of the
  132  restraint must be done in the least restrictive manner
  133  necessary; and
  134         2. The corrections official shall make written findings
  135  within 10 days as to the extraordinary circumstance that
  136  dictated the use of the restraints. These findings shall be kept
  137  on file by the correctional institution for at least 5 years and
  138  be made available for public inspection, except that the
  139  identifying information of a prisoner may not be made public
  140  without the prisoner’s prior written consent.
  141         (c)During the third trimester of pregnancy, or when
  142  requested by the doctor, nurse, or other health care
  143  professional treating the pregnant prisoner:
  144         1.Waist restraints that directly constrict the area of
  145  pregnancy may not be used;
  146         2.If wrist restraints are used, they must be applied in
  147  such a way that the pregnant prisoner is able to protect herself
  148  in the event of a forward fall; and
  149         3.Leg and ankle restraints that restrain the legs close
  150  together may not be used when the prisoner is required to walk
  151  or stand.
  152         4.Use of leg, ankle, or waist restraints is subject to the
  153  provisions of subparagraph (a)2.
  154         (d)In addition to the specific requirements of paragraphs
  155  (a)-(c), any restraint of a prisoner who is known to be pregnant
  156  must be done in the least restrictive manner necessary in order
  157  to mitigate the possibility of adverse clinical consequences.
  158         (4) ENFORCEMENT.—
  159         (a) Notwithstanding any relief or claims afforded by
  160  federal or state law, any prisoner who is restrained in
  161  violation of this section may file a complaint within 1 year
  162  after the incident.
  163         (b) This section does not prevent a woman harmed under this
  164  section from filing a complaint under any other relevant
  165  provision of federal or state law.
  166         (5) NOTICE TO PRISONERS.—
  167         (a) By September 1, 2011, the department and the Department
  168  of Juvenile Justice shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1)
  169  and 120.54, Florida Statutes, to administer this section.
  170         (b) Each correctional institution shall inform female
  171  prisoners of the rules developed pursuant to paragraph (a) upon
  172  admission to the correctional institution, including the
  173  policies and practices in the prisoner handbook, and post the
  174  policies and practices in locations in the correctional
  175  institution where such notices are commonly posted and will be
  176  seen by female prisoners, including common housing areas and
  177  medical care facilities.
  178         (6)ANNUAL REPORT.—By June 30 of each year, the Secretary
  179  of Corrections, the Secretary of Juvenile Justice, and the
  180  corrections official of each municipal and county detention
  181  facility where a pregnant prisoner has been restrained pursuant
  182  to paragraph (3)(a), or in violation of subsection (3), during
  183  the previous year shall submit a written report to the Executive
  184  Office of the Governor which includes an account of every such
  185  instance. The written reports may not contain identifying
  186  information of any prisoner. Such reports shall be made
  187  available for public inspection.
  188         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.