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| Prison treats pregnant inmates humanely |
| By desmoinesregister.com- Patti Wachtendorf |
| Published: 01/08/2015 |
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I'd like to respond to the Dec. 26 Iowa View written by Vi Darsee [and others with Friends of Iowa Women Prisoners] regarding "Moms should not give birth in chains." I've been the warden at Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (ICIW) for more than five years. Previously, I was employed as deputy warden and security director at ICIW since 2001. I am ultimately responsible for determining the level of restraints on all women housed in this facility. As a warden, I have a solemn duty to protect the public as well as protect our staff and offenders. Pregnant offenders and their unborn children are no exception to this obligation. It's a balance that I and the Department of Corrections take seriously. When necessary, we transport our offenders to a public hospital; they sit in the waiting rooms with the general public. We have pregnant women at ICIW that have committed either violent offenses, have escape histories, or both. Our mission dictates that such offenders remain supervised, especially when outside of the correctional institution, regardless if the offender is pregnant or not. This is not a novel situation that occurs only in Iowa. Last year in New York, a seven-month pregnant offender assaulted a correctional officer with a chair and jumped out a third-story window. She then broke into a nearby home and forced a woman with her 6-month-old baby to drive her back to her hometown. When police took her back into custody, she threatened to harm herself and her unborn baby. This could happen in Iowa if proper precautions are not taken. It's my job and the public's expectation that this does not happen here. Read More. |
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