Bitchin' Blog Posts
Pamela Clare, Romance, State Law, and Women’s Rights
by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | November 09, 2011 | Wednesday at 11:01 am | 95 Comments
I was having a completely unrelated email conversation with author Pamela Clare this past week when I learned something rather amazing that she did, and I wanted to share this with you. Here’s another answer to anyone who says that romances are all the same, and they are all meaningless fluff.
Romance novels can and have had an impact on the real world, and Ms. Clare’s an example of that. A journalist by profession, she’s the author of the I-Team romantic suspense series. Last year, she wrote a law that passed in Colorado last year banning use of shackles on female inmates giving birth while imprisoned.
This story is amazing. Seriously, my jaw hit my desk. But please be aware, before you click for more, that there are some brutal stories in Clare’s account about women in labor in prisons in the US. Unflinchingly brutal. Be warned.
Clare: The law I wrote bans the use of shackles on inmates during labor and delivery. (Yes, women giving birth are chained to their beds WHILE being kept under guard.) I’ve covered women’s prison/jail issues extensively for more than 15 years and broke a number of sickening — truly sickening — stories regarding the abuse of inmates.
Some of the highlights were folded into UNLAWFUL CONTACT, one of my I-Team books. There are four real investigative stories folded into that plotline. One of them involved the neglect of a pregnant inmate, who went into labor a month prematurely and was ignored, made fun of, and left alone in her cell IN LABOR for about 24 hours. It wasn’t until the next day when a guard noticed that she was in distress that she was taken to the hospital, where her perfectly healthy baby girl was stillborn.
To add insult to this woman’s profound injury — she was in prison on drug charges — she was kept chained to her hospital bed during labor and delivery. So imagine giving birth to an unnecessarily dead baby while chained to the bed like an animal and getting no pain relief. She gave birth, her baby was put on a slab (where she remained for a few months as the inmate couldn’t pay for a funeral), and the inmate was taken back to prison. (I cannot fathom dealing with the scope of that loss locked in a 9x9 cell while bleeding from giving birth.)
I learned that the practice of chaining women in labor to beds is commonplace. Last year, only 8 states banned the practice. Although some states had Department of Corrections that had policies regulating the use of shackles, all jurisdictions in a state have their own policies (city police, county sheriff, etc.) UNLESS there’s a state policy governing the practice throughout the state.
I wrote UNLAWFUL CONTACT and included a fictional happy ending where the senator hero from EXTREME EXPOSURE gets a law passed banning the shackling of inmates in labor and during childbirth. I took all my research to my favorite pet lawmaker, a man, who said he didn’t see what the big deal was. He was no longer my favorite lawmaker. Ptttth.
Then I did nothing for a while.
But it ate at me so very much and that pretend catharsis from the end of UNLAWFUL CONTACT really made me want to make it happen.
So… Last year, I came up with a pretext for visiting the prison midwife and interviewed a bunch of pregnant and postpartum inmates. The story I wrote was supposed to be about their cool new prenatal program, but really I was sneaking around doing research on the shackling issue. I uncovered MORE hideous stories.
This shit haunted me at night. Truly, I had nights where I felt sick. You’re getting a vague outline; I had faces, names, whole stories.
I wrote an article about it, then took that article and all my research to the Senate President. Within 5 minutes of listening to me plead with him to do something to stop this, I had his permission to craft a bill, which he agreed to give late-bill status despite having told lawmakers that no new bills would be introduced.
I’m not a lawmaker, obviously, but once I had his guarantee of late-bill status, I found a WOMAN senator (yes, thank you) who took the bill I wrote, introduced it into the Senate, and carried it through. I wrote all her talking points. I also testified as the expert witness at all the hearings on the subject.
When the bill cleared the final hurdle in the last House committee, I was sitting next to several inmates whose stories I had covered. One of them was the woman who’d lost her baby. She reached over, took my hand, gave it a squeeze, and there were tears pouring down her face. (And now I’m getting teary-eyed remembering it.)
I cannot tell you what that meant to me.
SB 193 passed late in the session with a single NO vote from an asshat from Colorado Springs. Colorado became the 9th state to ban the shackling of pregnant inmates.
Our law contains a few unique things that I wrote in based on inmates’ experiences. It requires the prison/jail to allow a member of the medical staff to be on hand when a post-partum inmate is strip searched on her return to the facility. The horror stories of women with stitches in their vaginas being made to squat and cough while guards told them they didn’t care how much it hurt are hideous to hear.
Also, the law requires the state to make a public record of it every time they use some excuse to shackle an inmate during labor — and that provision is to allow nosy bitch journlists like me to check and see how often they’re making use of the “but she’s really dangerous” clause to ensure they don’t abuse it.
And that is the nutshell version of it. The bill passed.
I’ve been sharing what I did with women in other states in hopes of getting laws in all 50 states. We’ve jumped up to 12 now I think that ban it. Pennsylvania followed Colorado.
So it’s a case of real life going into my book, the book offering a happy ending I wanted in real life, and then I went out and (it still amazes me) made that happen. As a result, I was awarded the Society for Professional Journalists “Keeper of the Flame” Lifetime Achievement Award this year.
The complete account of the bill, and the before and after of what its passage means for women inmates in Colorado can be found at the Boulder Weekly site.
I am struck by the fact that writing a fictional happy ending wasn’t enough. Clare not only wrote a happy ending into her books, but went on to write the bill that banned ankle shackles on pregnant inmates. That is amazing. High fives to you, ma’am.
Filed: General Bitching, Random Musings
Tagged: women in prison, romantic suspense, pamela clare, journalism, colorado, amazing
Lillie said on 11.09.11 at 12:18 PM • [link]
High fives indeed.
I don’t often comment, but now I just have to, though… I don’t have words. This story brought tears to my eyes. You rock, Ms. Clare.
Kim in Hawaii said on 11.09.11 at 12:40 PM • [link]
Pamela rocks! She shared some of her “investigations” with a small group of readers during a pre-con dinner at RomCon 2010.
The fact that she immerses herself into life gives credit to her books, especially the Romantic Suspense!
Ros said on 11.09.11 at 12:59 PM • [link]
I’m weeping as I read this. I love a happy ending in a book, but in real life it’s truly extraordinary. Well done indeed, Pamela Clare.
Bronte said on 11.09.11 at 02:27 PM • [link]
Wow, I know I’m probably naive but it always astounds me the depths to which humanity can sink. Congrats Pamela Clare on not looking the other way and doing something positive for change. You’ve inspired me.
Suze in CO said on 11.09.11 at 02:58 PM • [link]
Why am I not surprised that the asshat who voted “no” was from Colorado Springs? Of course he was. Probably one of our lovely Focus on the Family supporters.
Aaarrrgh! Just…don’t get me started.
Great post, and let’s hear it for Ms. Clare!! We need more “nosy bitch journalists” like her!
Sarah W said on 11.09.11 at 03:11 PM • [link]
Pamela Clare is my new hero.
Karmyn M. Crabb said on 11.09.11 at 03:13 PM • [link]
What purpose would shackling them during childbirth serve? They’re in labor, it’s not like they can run away.
Glad she did something about it.
Word is still72. I hope this bill prevents more stillbirths than that.
azteclady said on 11.09.11 at 03:58 PM • [link]
I’m in awe to the power of determination and what one person can accomplish, despite rather large obstacles—but I’m not surprised that it Ms Clare we are talking about. When reading her books, her passion for justice and her empathy for the women inmates she’s met come clearly through.
And I’m still trying not to cry. Thank you, Ms Clare.
Lynne Connolly said on 11.09.11 at 04:00 PM • [link]
Part of being a member of Amnesty International is writing polite letters to the governments of countries who hold prisoners of conscience. You are given a list of prisoners, their cases and why they qualify, and it’s up to you who you write to, although they always ask you to be polite. Being rude and obnoxious isn’t going to get the job done. You do not write letters on behalf of AI to your own country.
Unfortunately, the US features frequently on that list. The issue of chaining down women in labour is one example, so is executing prisoners who are under age at the time they committed the crime. Both are against the Geneva Convention, which the USA is signatory to, and both are regularly broken.
AI campaigns work. The letters tell the governments that people all over the world are watching, know the names of the people involved and will notice if those people are mistreated or they disappear. It is apolitical.
These issues aren’t for people to cry over and then throw money at, they require action, such as Ms Clare took, and kudos to her for doing it.
Sadly, sometimes my government also appears in the lists from time to time, too. Nobody is immune.
Heather Massey said on 11.09.11 at 04:21 PM • [link]
What a sobering—but also inspiring—story. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Melissa said on 11.09.11 at 04:25 PM • [link]
Thank you Pamela for having the courage and fortitude to see an injustice toward women and do everything you can to make it better! Congrats on getting the law passed and thanks for all your hard work for women who don’t usually have a voice.
quichepup said on 11.09.11 at 04:27 PM • [link]
My jaw hit the floor, it’s horrible to imagine what these women have had to endure. I cringed as I read this and got seriously pissed off at the DOC who challenged this law and I am glad they finally backed Ms.Clare’s efforts. She is amazing and a worthy recipient of the SPJ’s award. Sens. Hudak and Levy deserve praise for helping her turn this bill into law. I am glad she named the asshat who had the gall to vote against this bill. Hurting babies and mothers? See how well that goes over with the pro-life crowd, pal.
I have to give a recommendation to Naked Edge, another Clare book. Her Navajo characters were well rounded, real people and not the cheesy stereotypes found in most books by non-Native authors. Good story and hot sex too.
Patty H. said on 11.09.11 at 04:31 PM • [link]
I heart you Pamela Clare.
Ana said on 11.09.11 at 04:33 PM • [link]
That is really amazing. Just to prove that even one single person can make a lasting impression. Keep fighting the good fight!
Darlene Marshall said on 11.09.11 at 04:37 PM • [link]
This is an excellent story that should get wider play. Sarah, do you have any contacts at Oprah’s network after your appearance there?
And congrats to Pamela for stepping up to the plate. I’m a former SPJ local chapter president and I know how prestigious that award is. Well done!
Jodi said on 11.09.11 at 05:00 PM • [link]
Oh, goodness. I’m losing it first thing this morning. Thanks for sharing this, Sarah.
JK Coi said on 11.09.11 at 05:01 PM • [link]
I don’t know that I’ve ever actually commented here, although I like to lurk.
But this time I just had to. This is such a profound story, and it makes me so happy to hear about wonderful people stepping up to bring about change. Thank you so much.
Karenna Colcroft said on 11.09.11 at 05:12 PM • [link]
Kudos to Ms. Clare for taking action!
My captcha code: bed52. Um… after reading the horrors that Ms. Clare has seen, I can’t even go there.
Lynda the Guppy said on 11.09.11 at 05:16 PM • [link]
It is waaaay too early to be crying.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah. And bravo, Ms. Clare for seeing a problem and having both the courage and fortitude to do something about it.
Lil said on 11.09.11 at 05:21 PM • [link]
Wow.
Can you give the list of the states that have banned this? (It will be shorter than the list of states that haven’t.) I feel a compulsion to write letters coming on.
Maili said on 11.09.11 at 05:25 PM • [link]
I remember reading about that at the BBC News site last year (it’s certainly not an article to forget easily) and I didn’t realise Clare was involved. How fantastic is that? Thanks, Clare, for doing what was deserved doing.
(The article I was referring to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8449215.stm)
Pamela Clare said on 11.09.11 at 05:42 PM • [link]
Thanks, everyone, for your kind words. And thank you, SB Sarah, for taking an interest in this topic. You’d be surprised how many people say, “Well, they’re in prison. It should be miserable.”
I’m on my way in to the paper, but really quickly…
@Lil, I can’t remember off the top of my head, but states that have banned it include: Texas, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Washington, New York and, I believe, D.C., though that’s not a state. Obviously, there are some I’m missing there. I’ll see if i can find my notes about it today.
@Darlene — A former SPJ pres? Too cool! When they called to tell me I was getting the award, I said, “Isn’t that the award you give to dead people?” And they said, “Yes.” I’ve mostly just seen it handed out posthumously, so it was a real honor to get it while I’m still breathing and under the age of 80.
Seriously, thank you all so much. And please don’t hesitate to get a group of your friends together and look into this locally. I’d be happy to help talk people through the process of rabble rousing on this issue, if they’re committed to changing the law in their own state.
Lara said on 11.09.11 at 05:42 PM • [link]
God bless you, Ms. Clare.
snarkhunter said on 11.09.11 at 05:54 PM • [link]
Thank you so much for your work, Ms. Clare. I don’t know your books, but I’m definitely going to check them out.
I knew about this practice, but it’s another thing entirely to hear the real stories.
Terrie said on 11.09.11 at 06:07 PM • [link]
I live in Colorado and had no idea this was happening. I am so impressed by your tackling this issue. Like so many of the other commentators here have note, I was moved to tears reading this.
Diane Dooley said on 11.09.11 at 06:09 PM • [link]
Well done, Ms. Clare. Well done!
Anna the Piper said on 11.09.11 at 06:12 PM • [link]
WOW. Ms. Clare, I am buying your novel. Because I must subsidize your clear and present awesome.
Also, I just linked the hell out of this post.
Mayweed said on 11.09.11 at 06:20 PM • [link]
Thanks for this fantastic post! Ms. Clare you rock. I don’t know what the regulations are in Canada, but I will now be looking into it.
Lori said on 11.09.11 at 06:41 PM • [link]
Kudos to Ms Clare for all her hard work and determination to make a positive difference.
Karmyn said on 11.09.11 at 06:43 PM • [link]
@Pamela I live in Texas. In fact, I live in Huntsville where the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is located. I literally grew up next to death row. I am glad my home state has banned this practice.
Yes, these women have made mistakes, which is why they’re in prison. But their children are innocent and deserve a chance to break that cycle. They deserve a chance to not suffer coming into this world. Some of these women, all they have to live for is that new life.
Elyssa Papa said on 11.09.11 at 07:27 PM • [link]
Pamela, congrats on getting the bill passed! The story made me cry, and I’m glad you gave a voice to this issue. You are full of awesome.
Patrice said on 11.09.11 at 08:07 PM • [link]
Holy Crap! And yet we fall asleep thinking we are protected from harm in a country that has outlawed “cruel and unusual punishment”. Although that line has blurred more than not in the past decade. This is an amazing story. And all states should ban this type of cruel punishment. Makes me wonder if this law/prohibition shouldn’t go up to a federal level as well? Yeah sic Oprah on em! ;-)
Excellent job Pamela on every level! Your award is very well deserved.
Randi said on 11.09.11 at 08:17 PM • [link]
I am seriously amazed and awed by what you’ve accomplished, Ms. Clare. You really illustrate what one person can accomplish. I live in PA (Philly specifically) and would love to send an email to everyone who was involved in passing this bill, here. If you have any names, I would really appreciate it. Addtly, I’m originally from MN and that state was NOT on your list, so would like the names of anyone in MN that is for AND against, so I can start emailing them.
Congratulations and SB Sarah, thank you for sharing this with us!
-Randi
Marlene Dotterer said on 11.09.11 at 08:18 PM • [link]
Wow. As a natural childbirth teacher, I am horrified by this. Typical hospital procedures are bad enough - keeping women “chained” to bed with the constant fetal monitoring, for example. But labor and birth is a special, separate time in a woman’s life. Whatever else she’s done, a female inmate (and her baby) deserves quiet, gentle, respectful care while in labor.
I just passed this link on to the folks over at the Bradley Method (c). I’d like to see, not only an end to shackles, but prenatal counseling and natural childbirth methods for these women.
Thank you Pamela!
Pamela Clare said on 11.09.11 at 08:44 PM • [link]
OK, here’s the up-to-date list of all states that ban the shackling of inmates during labor: Colorado, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. It’s up to 14 states now!
Just before I wrote the bill, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that shackling a woman in labor constitutes a violation of her constitutional right to be free of “cruel and unusual punishment,” and we made use of that in committee testimony.
I’m in the middle of getting the paper to press, so I really don’t have time to comment (I will after 4 PM MST), but I want to thank you all for your kind comments. I wish I could respond to each of you individually right now. I’m so deeply touched by your concern and enthusiasm for this issue.
Tonya said on 11.09.11 at 08:48 PM • [link]
I have been a fan of Pamela Clare’s for a few years. On top of being an amazing author she is an amazing woman. She often lends her voice to others that go unheard. Her compassion for others is incredible. I never pass up an opportunity to pimp the I-Team series so if you haven’t read it, DO IT NOW! You will not be disappointed!
Batty Tabby said on 11.09.11 at 09:06 PM • [link]
It just goes to show that the written word is so powerful.
I’m glad more people are taking notice of the crimes that take place to the incarcerated. So many members of society simply believe that prisoners don’t deserve rights, fair treatment, and that because they are in jail they deserve whatever happens to them, no matter how horrific.
Donna said on 11.09.11 at 09:30 PM • [link]
Pamela Clare, you are so full of awesome. The I-team books just get better and better, and now you show us what one person can accomplish when their cause is just and their will is unassailable.
Moritorium on capital punishment (after some pretty embarassing investigations & DNA tests, but still): check
No shackling of women prisoners in labor: check
A govenor who likes to snatch up a half dozen veterans & take them to ball games: check
Sometimes it’s good to live in Illinois.
Tessa said on 11.09.11 at 10:17 PM • [link]
Wow. Really? Only 14 states? This is amazing, infuriating, since I live in CA, I’m linking the hell out of this and then heading over to Amazon to buy Ms. Clare’s books. I don’t normally read romantic suspense, but I’m all over supporting anyone this fabulous.
Is there a national organization lobbying for this?
It’s interesting that Oprah is our go-to for publicizing this kind of stupidity. I don’t watch her, but I am in awe of her ability to move the country in a better direction. It does seem like an issue she will pick up, legitimize as news, and then facilitate its spread across the rest of the media landscape. Wish she was global, and I wish it wasn’t just her. How many sports networks are there? And only one Oprah?
Tiblet said on 11.09.11 at 10:38 PM • [link]
Ms. Clare,
You are a real life heroine. You took a very troubling matter that so many would prefer to throw money at or ignore, brought it fully into the light and then made it change! Kudos and gratitude for standing up for those who cannot do so for themselves.
dee said on 11.09.11 at 11:21 PM • [link]
I’d love to know the name of the asshat who voted against the Bill - what could have been his reasoning?
Pamela, I’ve read all of your books except Breaking Point (because I refuse to buy any ebook that is priced the same as the paperback version). However, after reading this article, I went to Amazon and bought the ebook. I had to do *something* to support you.
Kelly Long said on 11.09.11 at 11:26 PM • [link]
“Criticize by creating…” that’s what you did…in a big way. Thank you for regaining a part of something sacred and for using degradation as a launching point for grace and new life.
Leslie Dicken said on 11.09.11 at 11:28 PM • [link]
Tears. In. My. Eyes.
Wow. Just wow.
Pamela, you are my new hero.
Gillian Wheatley said on 11.09.11 at 11:28 PM • [link]
What an amazing story and what a wonderful achievement Pamela. I was a midwife for several years at a hospital where prison inmates were brought to give birth and they were treated the same as the other women giving birth - the only one that I ever saw wearing handcuffs had killed a baby previously and was a danger to her own baby and others. I hope that this is the same story in the rest of the UK and I have no reason to believe otherwise!
Maggie Brendan said on 11.09.11 at 11:28 PM • [link]
Congratulations for being a “true heroine”! I never knew this kind of thing went on behind prisons walls. How awful. I’m reminded of the scripture…“I was naked and you fed me…I was in prison and you came to me.” Matthew 25:36. Jesus gave us the example to follow for treatment of our fellow man. God bless you for being so bold!
Carey Baldwin said on 11.09.11 at 11:44 PM • [link]
I’d say you earned the award. You are amazing and have really made a difference! This brings tears for all the women and infants who still have to suffer such injustice.
Denise Beucler said on 11.09.11 at 11:55 PM • [link]
Pamela, I would love any advice you can pass on. This is horrific and Ohio is one of the states with out a law banning it. I think this needs to change.
Kiersten said on 11.10.11 at 12:33 AM • [link]
Wow. An amazing story. An amazing accomplishment. Huzzah, Pamela Clare. Well done.
Leanna Ellis said on 11.10.11 at 12:57 AM • [link]
Wow. Thank you for going the extra mile for those women. Amazing what one woman can do. Again, thank you.
FairyKat said on 11.10.11 at 02:26 AM • [link]
A true ‘what I learned from romance’ moment—you should go out and write your Happy Ending in real life. So impressed by this I’m off to buy a book by Ms Clare as a token of my gratitude for services to womankind and, frankly, to humanity.
Dancing_Angel said on 11.10.11 at 02:27 AM • [link]
Bravissima to Ms. Clare - you not only saw something was Seriously Wrong, you had the guts to tackle it and put a stop to it! Huge kudoes.
Heather said on 11.10.11 at 03:36 AM • [link]
This story has done something few do. It has gotten me to a point where I do not even know how to respond. I am quite sure my state that I love so much despite its many flaws still allows these women to be shackled. I never even thought about that. I will be looking into it and writing my senator and house rep.
Jennie Marsland said on 11.10.11 at 03:41 AM • [link]
Ms. Clare is an author who writes what she knows and lives what she writes. I read about this process and the final victory on her blog when it happened. An amazing achievement by an amazing woman.
Karin said on 11.10.11 at 03:45 AM • [link]
You’re a real life shero, Ms. Clare. Thank you.
Pamela Clare said on 11.10.11 at 04:07 AM • [link]
I’m finally home from the paper and just sat down to read through all of your comments. And now I’m totally choked up. I don’t even know how to respond, except to say that all of us have the ability to help change this crazy world in which we live — every single one of us.
Thank you all so much for seeing why this is important and for caring. (And thanks to those who decided to give my books a try. I hope you enjoy them.)
So here’s a quick guide for changing things in your state:
1. Before your legislative session starts, gather a posse of your friend. Take an inventory of your skills and available time. (Who writes well, who does good research, who has time to make phone calls, etc.)
2. Find you state chapter of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (The national office has a website, and you can call them if you can’t find one in your state.) Tell them you’re aware of this issue and want to get a shackling ban passed in your state ASAP. (The Colorado ACOG office found me after I had started the process, and they were very helpful in lending a medical voice to the conversation with impressive medical facts.)
3. Explore bills from other states and ape theirs to write your own.
4. Before the session starts, ID helpful potential candidates in the House and Senate. Meet with them. Share photocopies of bills, research, etc. (Feel free to pirate mine.)
5. Find a lawmaker in each house willing to carry the bill.
6. As interested groups approach, bring them into your circles.
7. After the bill has been introduced, contact LOCAL MEDIA and urge them to do a story on the bill (finding a sympathetic reporter is important).
8. Call your lawmakers. Spend a day in the Capitol going from office to office discussing it with them. Most that I spoke with truly didn’t believe that this even took place in the state. They said, “This is a solution in search of a problem,” and I had to watch my temper. They simply didn’t understand. Open their eyes politely yet insistently.
9. Don’t be partisan! I brought together pro-choice feminists and anti-abortion conservatives to get this bill passed. I pitched the “women’s rights” angle to the feminists and the “these babies are innocent” angle to the conservatives. Don’t be picky. Just create alliances.
10. Press your friends to call in as well. The department of corrections (prison system) will resist every step of the way. Work with prisoner rights groups to refute their arguments.
The Rebecca Project is trying to mount a national effort with regard to shackling.
In a couple of years, the entire country could be free of this practice. And bless you to anyone who takes it on! You can always reach me at my email: pamelaclare at earthlink dot net.
Pamela Clare said on 11.10.11 at 04:08 AM • [link]
Sorry for the typos. Yes, I actually am a newspaper editor. :-/
Pamela Clare said on 11.10.11 at 04:12 AM • [link]
To add one more thing if I might…
When ACOG and a variety of women’s rights groups found out I had drafted a bill and had late bill status and a lawmaker lined up, they called to tell me that they had planned to address this issue but wanted to wait till NEXT year.
My response: “Well, wait if you want, but I’m going to do my damned best to get it passed this year.”
I bet you’ll hear that too if you try to take this on. Don’t let it cow you. And if you don’t succeed the first year, learn from what happened, and be ready to come back with a vengeance the next year.
Heather said on 11.10.11 at 04:25 AM • [link]
Ms Clare thanks for the advise I will be working on this come January. One point of contention though. Those of us who oppose abortion prefere to be called pro-life. I treat those who do support abortion by calling them pro-choice. I just ask that those of us who oppose abortion are treated with the same respect.
Pamela Clare said on 11.10.11 at 04:30 AM • [link]
Fair enough, Heather.
And good luck! Please get in touch with me if I can be of any use to you.
Susan/DC said on 11.10.11 at 05:03 AM • [link]
I had no idea that this practice existed and can’t even imagine how a prison system could justify shackling a woman in labor. Do they shackle the male prisoners when they undergo a medical procedure (not that there’s anything equivalent to labor, but just wondered)?
This is wrong on so many counts. The world needs more Pamela Clares, people who fight injustice and try to make the world a more humane place. Didn’t see DC on the final list of places that ban the practice, so I now need to see what the law is here. If anything, our nation’s capital should be at the forefront of representing Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and shackling women in labor ain’t it.
Pamela Clare said on 11.10.11 at 05:14 AM • [link]
Yes, Susan, they do shackle anyone and everyone going in for medical treatment. I’ve even heard of inmates in a coma being kept shackled and under guard. I’ve heard of guards demanding to stand by shackled inmates undergoing surgery until the inmate was under anesthesia.
The issue with labor and childbirth is that it’s a dynamic process that requires the mother to move in order to alleviate pain and to deliver a baby. Plus, if anything goes wrong, shackles could mean losing the baby because doctors wouldn’t be able to move the mother fast enough for, say, a c-section.
I think, overall, we have a long way to go when it comes to the treatment of inmates. But pain and potential medical crises increase for a laboring woman if she’s unable to move in a way that’s different from any other health situation.
Nicole Murphy said on 11.10.11 at 05:31 AM • [link]
Incredible - thank you so much for sharing. Pamela Clare is a legend!
JL said on 11.10.11 at 05:35 AM • [link]
Wow, Ms. Clare. Wow. I’m completely awed by you. I was already a die-hard fan of Pamela Clare the writer, but now I’m a fan of Pamela Clare the human being, too!
Mary G said on 11.10.11 at 05:42 AM • [link]
I’m already a huge fan of Pamela & her books. Reading this though, still gave me goosebumps. Just shows what one person can do if they start. All you lucky people who have yet to read her I-Team books - enjoy.
Kit said on 11.10.11 at 05:46 AM • [link]
I am inexpressibly glad that my state has done something right in this case. Pamela, thank you so much for your hard work and thank you for your smart how-to post. I’ll link to it and tell my friends in the other 36 to get moving!
Ros said on 11.10.11 at 05:57 AM • [link]
Gillian, there was a suggestion made about 20 years ago by Ann Widdecombe that shackling should be introduced in the UK. It didn’t make it into law and so I’m pretty certain that the practice is illegal here.
Leah Hultenschmidt said on 11.10.11 at 06:15 AM • [link]
Wow. I’ve always loved the emotional intensity in Pamela’s books, but this just brings it to a whole new level.
Aurora said on 11.10.11 at 08:38 AM • [link]
Good job Ms. Clare. I’m relived that Texas doesn’t do that.
NerdyLutheranChick said on 11.10.11 at 08:49 AM • [link]
Awesome!
Out of curiosity, which states are the ones that ban the shackling?
TheDuchess said on 11.10.11 at 04:50 PM • [link]
It is rare to see people who have the determination bring about the changes that they imagine for the world. This takes gutsy to a whole different level. Wow.
JoAnn said on 11.10.11 at 10:03 PM • [link]
Now that I have wiped the tears from my eyes and can see the keyboard….Wow, Pamela, you are just amazing. Makes me believe in the power of one as the catalyst for change.
The reason your books are so powerful is obvious - it comes right from the heart. Many thanks for your wonderful books.
Karin said on 11.10.11 at 10:41 PM • [link]
Here’s the full list of states that ban shackling during labor: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. Found it via this article in the Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/04/stop-shackling-pregnant-prisoners-new-push-to-ban-controversial-practice.html .
How shaming that my state is not on the list.
KZoeT said on 11.10.11 at 11:06 PM • [link]
I was curious about who gave the NO vote on SB 193. It was Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs.
Rémi Billoir said on 11.11.11 at 01:23 AM • [link]
A while ago, I remember watching an episode from The Pretender, I think, where, in a tense, gloomy atmosphere, the protagonist explored a long-abandoned medical facility. One of the elements supposed to provoke horror was the discovery of a childbirth bed with manacles.
Now I’m french, so I thought, or more like assumed, that this kind of treatment belonged in fictional horror scenes. So I’m reading that it will be banned, well duh ! Obviously ! But wait, if it was banned, then it happened ? In real life ?
The sad thing is, the direction things are sliding towards in France, I’m rather afraid we may have to watch out for such treatments of prisoners and perhaps take action… It certainly is reassuring to know that such action can be effective. And someone mentioned Amnesty International, they need and deserve support more than ever.
Thank you, Pamela Clare, for bringing me this bad and good news.
Zara said on 11.11.11 at 04:22 AM • [link]
I live in a state where gay marriage is legal, but they still shackle women in labor? Shameful. I’ll be sending this along to Dave Loebsack, one of my congressmen, who also happens to be a friend.
Sarah- Maybe you could ask Jane at DA to cross post for most exposure? They have a big readership as well. Just a thought.
Jessica Scott said on 11.11.11 at 05:40 AM • [link]
Pamela
Thank you so much for having the moral courage to go down a road that so few would dare to walk. Thank you for standing up and doing the right thing. I’m absolutely awed by your determination to get this bill passed and fearlessly going after such an appalling practice.
Simply put, thank you.
Pamela Clare said on 11.11.11 at 06:54 PM • [link]
Thank you, everyone, for your comments.
To answer a question that was asked, Rep. Mark Waller was the “no” vote. His reasoning? He feared that leaving laboring inmates unshackled would put the guards at risk. He fixed on that, and there was just no convincing him that a 5-foot-2 pregnant woman having contractions wasn’t much of a real threat to a 6-foot 200-pound guard. (Some of the guards are women, but not the majority of them.)
People get into their heads that being a prison inmate or being a felon means that this person is inclined toward violence. But the majority of women who are in prison are there for drug- and alcohol-related offenses (possession, sale, drunk driving, etc.) Being a heroin addict doesn’t make a person likely to bash the crap out of a prison guard. Of course, some of the women are dangerous, but not all that many.
And what do most women in prison have in common? There’s one specific thing, and it’s this: Most were subject to physical and sexual abuse as children. That’s the one overwhelming similarity from woman to woman. These are women whose lives were torn apart as little girls who never got the love, the caring or the therapy they need. That doesn’t excuse their breaking the law, of course, but it does point to how destructive sexual abuse of girls is (and how prevalent).
Wow, sorry to go off there…
Diana Layne said on 11.11.11 at 08:16 PM • [link]
omg, omg, omg, squatting and coughing after an episiotomy. I’ve had six kids, don’t even want to imagine that. :( Fabulous work, Pamela!
Pamela Clare said on 11.11.11 at 08:28 PM • [link]
Diana, I so hear that! Routine episiotomies are becoming of thing of the past, but one story I reported on was about a woman who tore badly during delivery, in part because she was shackled, and who then had to do the cough-squat thing. Her baby was taken away immediately after birth, and after 13 days in jail, the charges against this woman were dropped. So she endured ALL of that — and she wasn’t even guilty.
Diana Layne said on 11.11.11 at 08:29 PM • [link]
Gasp!!!
Patricia Cochran said on 11.11.11 at 09:58 PM • [link]
AMEN!
Pat C.
Susan said on 11.12.11 at 03:21 AM • [link]
I live in Texas, and I’m amazed (pleasantly so) that the state Lege passed a law against shackling inmates in labor. Wow - maybe there *is* hope for my state. I’ve doubted it for sometime now.
Psychbucket said on 11.12.11 at 05:39 AM • [link]
Ms. Clare, you are an inspiration.
FairyKat said on 11.12.11 at 08:03 AM • [link]
As an aside—while I bought Ms Clare’s book as a statement of solidarity, I’m having a great time reading it, and will definitely be buying more.
Tonya said on 11.12.11 at 08:40 AM • [link]
@FairyKat ~~ You won’t be disappointed with her other books. They are all amazing! When you’ve read the I-Team series you know you have read 5 different books. Sometimes series books run together & are basically the same book over & over (what I call cookie-cutter). Not so with Pamela Clare’s books!
Honey Tan said on 11.12.11 at 07:17 PM • [link]
An activist journalist who writes fab books - you’re a star!
Rémi Billoir said on 11.13.11 at 02:27 AM • [link]
I would like, with permission of course, to make a french translation of this article and post it on my blog. I’ve got a friend who married a midwife and they might be interested, so I intended to translate it anyway, if only for personal mail.
I actually found that, in France, shackles are or have been used on inmates during labor and delivery :
http://prison.eu.org/spip.php?article377
“Dans la pratique, les femmes détenues sont en fait systématiquement surveillées au cours de leur hospitalisation, au moyen d’une garde statique placée soit à l’entrée soit à l’intérieur de la chambre ou de la salle de consultation. Par ailleurs, elles sont très fréquemment menottées (au lit d’hôpital, pendant l’accouchement, pendant l’escorte…). Face à la dénonciation de telles pratiques, le ministère de la justice a rappelé dans une circulaire du 10 février 2004 que les femmes détenues doivent accoucher dans la dignité, donc en aucun cas menottées, tout au long de la période de travail. “
“In practive, female inmates are actually systematically put under surveillance during their hospitalization, with a static guard placed either at the door or inside the room or the doctor’s office. Besides, they are very often shackled (to the hospital bed, during labor, during transport…). To protesters of such practices, the Ministry of Justice reminded, in a memo dated 2004/02/10, that female inmates must give birth with dignity, and therefore in no way shackled, during labor”.
Pamela Clare said on 11.13.11 at 04:45 AM • [link]
Rémi, I think you need Sarah’s permission, not mine. But feel free to share any of the links to the paper and to translate that information to French. I know that women have been shackled during labor/birth in the UK and, at times, in Germany. I got an email from a German reader who shared that with me after reading the post here on SBTB.
It’s a terrible practice, and I hope the world is moving toward ending it altogether.
Thanks!
Brianna said on 11.13.11 at 12:26 PM • [link]
That is an amazing story. Ms Clare - you are an inspiration.
Geri J. said on 11.14.11 at 05:33 AM • [link]
I consider myself to be pretty well-informed on social and political issues and this is the first I have heard of these horrors. Thank you for not only bringing the issue to public attention in your books, but for also going forward with your crusade to correct these egregious practices.
You have made a new fan.
Karin said on 11.15.11 at 08:28 PM • [link]
I’m now a Pamela Clare fan! I got “Surrender” from the library a couple days ago and I loved it! I’m waiting for the new editions of this series to come out so I can buy them.
Kristie(J) said on 11.16.11 at 07:35 AM • [link]
Ms. Clare has long been a hero to me and I’m so glad that Sarah has made this story public. And I’m so glad now that so many others are seeing what a wonderful caring person Pamela is.
HeatherBetsy said on 11.22.11 at 12:56 AM • [link]
I (Heather Heaton) am recommending my new ebook (“Her Letters from Prison”) as a motivational resource for reading pleasure, review, contemplation, and comment. My ebook will validate your inquisitive doubts about what goes on in women’s prisons; it can justify the efforts spent toward ministries to women’s prisons; and it can be an inspirational (tell-it-like-it-is) resource for drug rehab/prevention programs. The book is non-fiction inspirational prison romance (It is what it is!); and the original letters are included as images for authenticity. You can go to http://www.heather-heaton.com and purchase “Her Letters from Prison”, Parts 1 and 2.
If you don’t happen to own a Kindle, Nook, or some other eReader device, then download the FREE Adobe Digital Editions software to your computer to read the “epub” version of my ebook as purchased from Smashwords. Multiple versions of my ebook are available on Smashwords.
I am a 34 year old college student trying to better my life, in spite of the baggage I carry from my previous life. To date, I have been quite successful in accomplishing this goal; and I will use the proceeds from the book to help support myself. My picture is posted, with my book descriptions, at Smashwords.
My recently published ebook is entitled (“Her Letters from Prison: Part 1 & Part 2”, by Heather Heaton). The ebook was published at Smashwords (www.smashwords.com). A brief description of the ebook follows:
1. Breanna tells the true story of her experiences in prison through her letters to her friend Heath. This is a story of survival and a quest to make a better life. The letters describe the daily shocking events of prison life involving drugs, sex, utter devastation and humiliation, anger, hopelessness, despair, and finally happiness and hope.
2. Breanna’s “truth” stands still even as the world around her trembles and burns! Bad things do happen to good people; and Breanna is the perfect example of this truth.
3. Breanna’s inner strengths and principles eventually win out over the corruption and evil that surrounds her. With God’s help, Breanna survives the horrible experiences of prison life and regains her self-confidence and hope for a better life.
4. “Breanna” was an inmate at Tutwiler Women’s Prison from 2007 to 2009.
5. “Breanna” benefitted from women’s prison ministries and the LIFE Tech-Wetumpka state-funded self-help program.
The Introduction page of the ebook follows:
Introduction:
The story you are about to read is true. Unfortunately, it’s my story; and the truth is often much more intriguing than fiction. I have had to deal with this story (this situation) for more than the past ten years. I started living out this story with all the hopes and dreams of most (if not all) young American girls; and I will finish this story by realizing most of those hopes and dreams, even though they have been interrupted for a time (in prison) that seems like time and time again. Through it all, I have managed to learn some life lessons that I hope to give to you; and I am hoping that you can pick up on these lessons earlier in life than I have done. I should have learned these lessons long ago. If I had learned these lessons long ago, I assure you that I would not have written the material you are now reading. My hope is that nobody else has to endure what I have endured learning life lessons that should be given to youngsters and adolescents early in life by the ones who truly love them. But here again, there are probably other youngsters and adolescents, much like me, who will have to learn these life lessons painfully for themselves, the hard way – by experiencing them first hand. Well, if you continue to read my story, here’s what you will experience – drugs, sex, violence, prison, utter devastation/humiliation, anger, hopelessness, despair, and finally happiness and hope!
If you don’t take me seriously and you follow in my path, you are going to experience false hope and disillusionment! You are going to experience broken trusts, by those whom you trusted most! You are going to experience pain and agony that brings you to the brink of self-destruction! You will lose your freedom! You will lose the right to think for yourself and to make your own decisions! You will lose your sense of self-worth and self-dignity! You are going to lose your ability to support yourself! You are going to lose your self-confidence! You are going to be victimized; and you can do little to avoid this! You will struggle and struggle and struggle just to get yourself back onto an even keel! But if you can ever manage to muster a tremendous mountain of stubbornness and determination, and if you can begin to think better of yourself, you will be able to recover most, but not all, of your ability to manage your own affairs while regaining some of your self-confidence and feeling of self-worth. I am just about to accomplish this in my life! Being just about able to accomplish this in my life is what has led me to (it has allowed me to) share my story with you. At first, I didn’t think I could ever share my story with anyone. But, I really don’t want you to actually share (live through) my experiences, even if you think you can handle it. Just read this story and do something positive in your own life.
Note: Names have been changed to protect each individual’s privacy.
Dedication:
This work is dedicated to Valrise Bendolf (Clay County Dept. of Corrections Holding Facility), Jackie Ratliff (Kilby – Montgomery Womens’ Facility), Fawn Romie/Mr. Roberts/Gary Parsons (Life Tech) and all of Mr. Robert’s little roses that he so diligently cultivated. For all their good works, these people saved my life!
I hope that you find this ebook both interesting and helpful.
Sincerely,
Heather Heaton
http://www.heather-heaton.com
http://www.herlettersfrompriso…
Customer/Reader Review of “Her Letters from Prison”
Heather, ever since you first contacted me about your ebooks (and when I received them) I have been giving them traction. At least two women on my case load checked them out, (like a library card so I would get them back) and were very moved by the content. I haven’t had another problem with their behavior since they read them. So…I know they are working. They should be required reading, ordered by a Judge before women are sentenced to probation, so that they would fully understand the consequences of their behavior. The coverage by The Prison Art Coalition blog is very good news both for Heather and for those that will read her story.
They (“Her Letters from Prison: Parts 1 & 2) should be used as text books for the next Life Tech facility for Women!!! I wish I had some pull for money to build a better one. I pray for it.
Gary Parsons
Parole Officer
State of Alabama – Board of Pardons & Parole
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