An Act To Prevent the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1013
Committee Amendment CA_A_S302 (Senate)
Amends: 30-A MRSA §1660

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 353, L.D. 1013, Bill, "An Act To 
Prevent the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Prevent the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners and Pregnant Juveniles' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 30-A MRS A §1510 is enacted to read: 
§ 151 O. Definitions 
For the purposes of this chapter, "prisoner" or "inmate" means an adult sentenced and 
committed to, transferred to or detained in the custody of a jail, including an adult in a 
community confinement monitoring program pursuant to section 1659-A. 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA c. 13, sub-c. 2-A is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 2-A 
PREGNANT PRISONERS AND PREGNANT JUVENILES 
§1581. Definitions 
As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following 
terms have the following meanings. 
1. Corrections officer. "Corrections officer" means a person who is responsible for 
the custody or direct supervision of a person confined in a jail, prison or state correctional 
facility pursuant to an order of a court or as a result of an arrest and who possesses a 
current and valid certificate issued by the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice 
Academy pursuant to Title 25, section 2803-A. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 353, L.D. 1013 
2. Labor. "Labor" means the period of time before a birth during which contractions 
are of sufficient frequency, intensity and duration to bring about effacement and 
progressive dilation of the cervix. 
3. 
Postpartum recovery. 
"Postpartum recovery" means, as determined by a 
woman's physician, the period immediately following delivery, including the entire 
. 
period the woman is in the hospital or infirmary after giving birth. 
4. Restraints. "Restraints" means any physical restraint or mechanical device used 
to control the movement of a prisoner's or juvenile's body or limbs, including, but not 
limited to, disposable or soft restraints, handcuffs, a security restraint system that 
combines handcuffs with a rigid component, leg irons, belly chains, a security or tether 
chain and a convex shield. 
§1582. Restraint of pregnant prisoners and pregnant juveniles 
1. Restraints prohibited. A jail may not use restraints on a prisoner or juvenile 
known to be pregnant, including during transport to a medical facility or birthing center, 
labor, delivery and postpartum recovery, unless the jail administrator or the designee of 
the jail administrator makes a determination that the prisoner or juvenile presents an 
extraordinary circumstance as described in subsection 2, 
2. Exceptions. Use of restraints on a pregnant prisoner or a pregnant juvenile for an 
extraordinary circumstance is permitted only if a jail administrator or designee of the jail 
administrator makes a determination that there is a substantial flight risk or other 
extraordinary medical or security circumstance that requires restraints to be used to 
ensure the safety and security of the pregnant prisoner or pregnant juvenile, the staff of 
the jail or medical facility, other prisoners or juveniles or the pUblic, except that: 
A. If a doctor, nurse or other health professional treating the prisoner or juvenile 
requests that restraints not be used, the corrections officer accompanying the prisoner 
or juvenile shall immediately remove all restraints; and 
B, Notwithstanding this subsection, leg or waist restraints may not be used at any 
time, and restraints may not be used on a prisoner or juvenile in labor or childbirth. 
3. Procedures. If restraints are used on a pregnant prisoner or pregnant juvenile 
pursuant to subsection 2: 
A. The corrections officer must apply the least restrictive type of restraints in the 
least restrictive manner necessary; and 
B. The jail administrator or designee of the jail administrator shall make written 
findings within 10 days as to the extraordinary circumstance that required the use of 
the restraints, These findings must be kept on file by the jail for at least 5 years and 
must be made available for public inspection, except that individually identifying 
information of any prisoner or juvenile may not be made public under this paragraph 
without the prior written consent of the prisoner or juvenile, 
4. Privacy. When a prisoner or juvenile is admitted to a medical facility or birthing 
center for labor or childbirth, a corrections officer may not be present in the room during 
labor or childbirth unless specifically requested by medical personnel. If a corrections 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A .. to S.P. 353, L.D. 1013 
officer's presence is requested by medical personnel, the corrections officer must be 
female if practicable. 
§1583. Standards; notice to female prisoners and juveniles 
1. Mandatory minimum standards for pregnant prisoners and juveniles. The 
Commissioner of Corrections shall adopt rules to establish mandatory minimum 
standards necessary to implement this subchapter and must enforce those standards as 
provided under Title 34-A, section 1208. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are 
routine technical rules as defmed in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
2. Notice. The jail administrator or the jail administrator's designee shall inform all 
female prisoners and female juveniles upon admission to the jail of the mandatory 
minimum standards adopted pursuant to subsection 1. 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §1660, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 
4. 
Information on pregnant prisoners and pregnant juveniles. 
The report 
required in this section must include the following information for each jail about 
pregnant prisoners and pregnant juveniles restrained pursuant to subchapter 2-A during 
the prior calendar year: 
A. The total number of pregnant prisoners and pregnant juveniles; 
B. 
The total number of pregnant prisoners and pregnant juveniles who were 
1 
restrained; 
C. The length of time each pregnant prisoner or pregnant juvenile was restrained; 
and 
D. 
The reasons for each instance of restraining a pregnant prisoner or pregnant 
juvenile. 
Sec. 4. 34-A MRS A c. 3, sub-c. 1, art. 4 is enacted to read: 
ARTICLE 4 
PREGNANT PRISONERS AND PREGNANT JUVENILES 
§3101. Definitions 
As used in this article, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1. Corrections officer. "Corrections officer" means a person who is responsible for 
the custody or direct supervision of a person confined in a jail, prison or state correctional 
facility pursuant to an order of a court or as a result of an arrest and who possesses a 
current and valid certificate issued by the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice 
Academy pursuant to Title 25, section 2803-A. 
2. Juvenile. "Juvenile" means juvenile client or juvenile detainee. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 353, L.D. 1013 
3. Labor. "Labor" means the period of time before a birth during which contractions 
are of sufficient frequency, intensity and duration to bring about effacement and 
progressive dilation of the cervix. 
4. 
Postpartum recovery. 
"Postpartum recovery" means, as determined by a 
woman's physician, the period immediately following delivery, including the entire 
period the woman is in the hospital or infirmary after giving birth. 
5. Restraints. "Restraints" means any physical restraint or mechanical device used 
to control the movement of a prisoner's or juvenile's body or limbs, including, but not 
limited to, disposable or soft restraints, handcuffs, a security restraint system that 
combines handcuffs with a rigid component, leg irons, belly chains, a security or tether 
chain and a convex shield. 
§3102. Restraint of pregnant prisoners and pregnant juveniles 
1. Restraints prohibited. A correctional facility or a detention facility may not use 
restraints on a prisoner or juvenile known to be pregnant, including during transport to a 
medical facility or birthing center, labor, delivery and postpartum recovery, unless the 
chief administrative officer or the designee of the chief administrative officer makes a 
determination that the prisoner or juvenile presents an extraordinary circumstance as 
described in subsection 2. 
2. Exceptions. Use of restraints on a pregnant prisoner or a pregnant juvenile for an 
extraordinary circumstance is permitted only if the chief administrative officer or the 
designee of the chief administrative officer makes a determination that there is a 
substantial flight risk or other extraordinary medical or security circumstance that 
requires restraints to be used to ensure the safety and security of the pregnant prisoner or 
pregnant juvenile, the staff of the correctional facility, detention facility or medical 
facility, other prisoners or juveniles or the public, except that: 
A. If a doctor, nurse or other health nrofessional treating the prisoner or juvenile 
requests that restraints not be used, the corrections officer accompanying the prisoner 
or juvenile shall immediately remove all restraints; and 
B. Notwithstanding this subsection, leg or waist restraints may not be used at any 
time, and restraints may not be used on a prisoner or juvenile in labor or childbirth. 
3. Procedures. If restraints are used on a pregnant prisoner or pregnant juvenile 
pursuant to subsection 2: 
A. The corrections officer must apply the least restrictive type of restraints in the 
least restrictive manner necessary; and 
B. The chief administrative officer or the designee of the chief administrative officer 
shall make written findings within 10 days as to the extraordinary circumstance that 
required the use of the restraints. These findings must be kept on file by the 
correctional facility or detention facility for at least 5 years and must be made 
available for public inspection, except that individually identifying information of 
any prisoner or juvenile may not be made public under this paragraph without the 
prior written consent of the prisoner or juvenile. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "toS.P.353,L.D.1013 
I 
4. Privacy. When a prisoner or juvenile is admitted to a medical facility or birthing 
center for labor or childbirth, a corrections officer may not be present in the room during 
labor or childbirth unless specifically requested by medical personnel. If a corrections 
officer's presence is requested by medical personnel, the corrections officer must be 
female if practicable. 
§3103. Rulemaking 
The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement this article. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
§3104. Notice 
A correctional facility or detention facility shall inform all female prisoners and 
juveniles of the rules developed pursuant to section 3103 upon admission to the 
correctional facility or detention facility and shall include the rules in any handbook 
provided to female prisoners or juveniles. 
Sec. 5. Commissioner to establish standards. Pursuant to the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 30-A, section 1583, subsection I, the Commissioner of Corrections shall 
establish minimum standards to implement Title 30-A, chapter 13, subchapter 2-A within 
days of the effective date of that subchapter. Pursuant to Title 30-A, section 1583, 
subsection 2, within 30 days of establishing the standards under Title 30-A, section 1583, 
subsection 1, all jails shall inform all female prisoners and all female juveniles in custody 
of the standards. 
Sec. 6. Commissioner to adopt rules. Pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 34-A, section 3103, the Commissioner of Corrections shall adopt rules necessary to 
implement Title 34-A, chapter 3, subchapter I, article 4 and shall notify all female 
prisoners and all female juveniles in custody of the rules within 30 days of the effective 
date of that article.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. The amendment replaces 
the bill. 
The amendment clarifies that the Commissioner of Corrections establishes 
mandatory minimum standards for using restraints applicable to pregnant prisoners and 
pregnant juveniles in jails by adopting routine technical rules. The amendment clarifies 
that notice of the rules is provided only to female prisoners and female juveniles. The bill 
places responsibility for certain provisions on corrections officials, and the amendment 
makes those provisions applicable to the jail administrator in a jail and the chief 
administrative officer in a state correctional facility. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT