KTLA News: "Incarcerated pregnant women will no longer be chained during childbirth" (1980)
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Description:
The KTLA newsfilm collection at the UCLA Film & Television Archive consists of cut and unedited stories, outtakes and fill footage, originally shot on 16mm reversal film stock with magnetic soundtrack. Some footage, particularly material not used for broadcast, may be without sound.
Title: “Incarcerated pregnant women will no longer be chained during childbirth.” Date: July 14, 1980.
Summary: On July 3, 1980, attorney Gloria Allred filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Sharon Louise Larson who was pregnant and incarcerated for a parole violation. In this clip, Allred speaks to reporters regarding the recent change of policy by Assistant Sheriff Theodore Von Minden in which pregnant women incarcerated for misdemeanors or felonies will not be chained or handcuffed to their hospital beds during childbirth. Although the policy change is voluntary Allred notes that she believes the change is in response to Larson’s pending case. A reporter points out the policy change is a test program and asks if it might revert back, to which Allred responds that Assistant Sheriff Von Minden has stated he expects it will become a permanent program. Some footage lacks sound.
© The Regents of the University of California
Complete Record: The KTLA newsfilm collection at the UCLA Film & Television Archive consists of cut and unedited stories, outtakes and fill footage, originally shot on 16mm reversal film stock with magnetic soundtrack. Some footage, particularly material not used for broadcast, may be without sound. Title: “Incarcerated pregnant women will no longer be chained during childbirth.” Date: July 14, 1980. Summary: On July 3, 1980, attorney Gloria Allred filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Sharon Louise Larson who was pregnant and incarcerated for a parole violation. In this clip, Allred speaks to reporters regarding the recent change of policy by Assistant Sheriff Theodore Von Minden in which pregnant women incarcerated for misdemeanors or felonies will not be chained or handcuffed to their hospital beds during childbirth. Although the policy change is voluntary Allred notes that she believes the change is in response to Larson’s pending case. A reporter points out the policy change is a test program and asks if it might revert back, to which Allred responds that Assistant Sheriff Von Minden has stated he expects it will become a permanent program. Some footage lacks sound. © The Regents of the University of California
Transcription
What we really wanted was a change in policy and we're very happy that the sheriff has voluntarily changed this policy. In spite of the fact that it seemed that we had to file a lawsuit to get him to change the policy, he did it in a very humane and sensitive way. And fortunately for Miss Larson, he did it the day before she gave birth. Miss Larson delivered I understand by this change in policy. One of them is Dolores my we filed her declaring policy just what is the situation? Well, we're very happy to learn that late Friday uh the assistant sheriff Theodore van Minden has decided to change the policy of the sheriff's office and he says in his declaration which is filed with the court that that is because this case is pending. So that the new policy will be that in the future females who have committed mis misdemeanors will not in any circumstances be chained during labor or delivery and also uh females who are felons also will not under any circumstances be chained during labor or delivery. As to other circumstances of medical care, uh those circumstances will depend on whether or not uh they are a danger to life or property and uh individual decisions will be made about the women and that's what we think is important that they not be judged as a class that pregnant women in labor somehow are a danger to society but that they are looked at as individuals on their records. >> He indicated this is a test program. So, is there a possibility that a few weeks or months down the road that it might end and revert to what you're trying to change? >> The assistant sheriff in his declaration has said that he expects and hopes that this test program will become a permanent program and uh the county council this morning has assured me that uh there is no time limit on this test program and they think of it as a permanent program unless uh there are certainly reasons that might arise in the interim that would change it. Are you concerned because he uh denied
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