Under a law signed by Gov. Ed Rendell on July 2, 2010, pregnant inmates who are in labor can no longer be restrained.
When the law takes effect at the end of August, Pennsylvania will become the eighth state in the nation with such a ban.
Women in labor cannot be restrained on the way to the medical facility, during labor, or for a short time after delivery.
There are exceptions if corrections officials believe the inmate is a flight risk or a danger to medical personnel. The state Department of Corrections must make an annual report to the governor of each instance of shackling an inmate in labor.
The bill was supported by the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Pennsylvania Medical Society. The American Medical Association also recently passed policy to oppose shackling of inmates in labor.