Call for inquiry after prisoner forced to give birth in cell

File photo / Richard Robinson

A penal reform group has called for an inquiry after a woman had to give birth in her jail cell because Auckland women's prison staff had to follow safety procedures before opening the door.

The Sunday Star-Times was told of the case by another inmate, who said the pregnant prisoner had complained of labour pains during the day. The baby was born during the early hours of the morning last October.

Vicki Aitken, assistant regional manager for women's prisons, said guards did not know until the last minute that the birth was imminent.

"The baby was born within 10 minutes of staff being notified by the prisoner that her waters had broken," she said "The prisoner did not notify staff before this that she was in labour."

Ms Aitken said guards had to follow set procedures for safety reasons and that included getting approval from senior staff to unlock the door and that two staff had to be present to open the door.

But the Howard League Penal Reform's Jarrod Gilbert said the Corrections Department should review its policy.

"It may well be that you say, 'hang on, with a heavily pregnant woman...there's going to be no risk to staff', so potentially some of those regulations could be relaxed."

There should be an independent inquiry into the incident so the department could learn from the incident, Mr Gilbert said.

Ms Aitken said an ambulance was called after guards were told her waters had broken. When they opened the cell, medical staff found the baby had already been born.

Another pregnant inmate, who shared the woman's cell, assisted with the birth. Both mother and baby were well.

- NZPA