The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a new independent investigation into the use of restraints on pregnant women in prison during hospital escorts.
The investigation has been commissioned by the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, and will be carried out by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). It follows allegations that policies governing the use of restraints may have been breached in one or more women’s prisons.
The RCM has long raised concerns about the care of pregnant women in the criminal justice system. Its position statement on pregnant women in prison highlights the need for dignity, continuity of care and the removal of practices that may cause harm or distress during pregnancy.
Rachel Drain, Quality and Standards Advisor at the RCM, said: “We welcome this investigation and the opportunity to shine a light on the experiences of pregnant women in prison. Pregnancy and the postnatal period is a time when women need compassionate, personalised care, not practices that may cause unnecessary fear, distress or physical risk.
“The use of restraints on pregnant women, particularly during hospital visits, raises serious concerns about safety, dignity and human rights. We know that stress and trauma during pregnancy can have significant impacts on both the woman and her baby, so it is vital that policies are not only robust but consistently followed.
“We hope this investigation leads to meaningful change and stronger safeguards to ensure that no woman is placed at avoidable risk during pregnancy.”
The PPO will examine the use of restraints across 10 public and private women’s prisons in England between January 2021 and December 2025. The investigation will seek to hear directly from women currently in prison, as well as those who have since been released, and is being conducted with a trauma-informed and sensitive approach.
The RCM and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have campaigned against restraints on pregnant prisoners and those who have recently given birth for a number of years, and last year jointly wrote a letter to the Secretary of State for Justice outlining the concerns.
In the letter, the RCM and RCOG stated: “Labour is a vulnerable and intense experience, and handcuffing a woman during this time is degrading, dehumanising, invades her privacy, and undermines her dignity as a human being. Furthermore, labour can be unpredictable and any woman may require immediate medical attention. She may need to move or be moved in ways that are prevented or impeded by being handcuffed. Removing the handcuffs would add delay in a crisis situation. That could have very obvious and serious negative consequences for the life and health of both mother and baby.”
The RCM is encouraging anyone with relevant experience to come forward and contribute to the investigation. Women who may have been restrained while pregnant in prison can contact the PPO investigation team online confidentially before 5 June 2026.
More information on the investigation can be found here.
