A pregnant prisoner who was shackled to security guards while she ate, slept and washed says she still has not received an apology - despite mistakes being admitted.

During her six-month detention at Cornton Vale women's prison in Stirling, 21-year-old Donna McLeish was chained to male and female security guards 24 hours a day.

After a week at home, she is beginning to settle back into normal life. As she cradles her baby, Bradley, who was born in prison, she tells me about the rough journey that led to this moment.

"In the beginning I thought it was normal to have a male in the room 24 hours a day. I thought it was normal to be chained up when I showered and used the toilet."

Donna was jailed for assaulting a young woman in a nightclub. She was sentenced while pregnant.

Once inside she suffered complications in the form of a blood clot on her placenta and had to be admitted to hospital.

"I was in a lot of pain and I was bleeding heavily. They refused to take the cuff off - even for a minute.

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That's taking prison security a bit too far, I don't think there was any danger of her running away or anything. She could have lost her baby with all the stress she was under.

You know I am so sick of reading all these threads about women killing there children and doing all these horrible things to their children. I don't buy it for a minute. What I do see happening is our dirty legal system finding a way to make big money. Corporate crime again...America at it's best. What a way for government to make money. A nice big easy welfare check for the government using children. How disgusting is that? Can you imagine how much money the government gets when a "criminal" is a mother? The governement gets a welfare check, the schools get a welfare check...all these so called programs that are designed supposedly to help a child? And as usual they do nothing and the children are passed around in foster homes where people get paid to care for these children and they are used for a welfare check. None of them actually do anything but use these children for a welfare check. And this is what happened here I'm sure. This prison got more money to house this woman because she was pregnant. And do you see how they "helped" her more? It's all sick, trashy entertainment. This country has gotten so disgusting. It's a gigantic welfare system. Not for the people who actually need the help, or the welfare. But for big business and politicians.

well it will make her think twice before she commits any crime now

Unfortunatatly it won't make the real criminals think twice before they commit another crime. The big guys, our government. But at least you can make yourself feel better thinking you did something attacking someone who had no means of defense. Hope you feel better.

Read the news article again. That prison wasn't run by a government.

I don't see the problem. The way I look at it is that she put herself in that situation. It's time for people to stop feeling sorry for criminals. Obviously she did'nt worry about her unborn child while she was in the club assaulting another person.

Where does it say anything about killing her child or abusing...If the state thought anything like that the baby would have been taken when she gave birth....And not all foster parents do it for the *check*. I know quite a few people who have fostered children, and they're first concern was the child, not the check.

I didn't know there were prisons that weren't run by government. Where did this take place? Where is Stirling?

It doesn't say that but it seems that's all you hear about lately is women committing these crimes and in prison, some for some of the stupidest things. And knowing what a business our prisons are and social services I look at the money government is making off these women or moreso their children. Why is the rate of women going to prison suddenly skyrocketed in the past 10 years? My sister does foster parenting and I think she is one of the few that actually care about these children. You wouldn't believe some of the children that go through that system. Just recently she had a young boy that was removed from his home because of abuse. They put him in a home where he was abused for two years, a foster home. They finally realized the people were chaining this kid to a bed. Throwing the food into him. He was going to the bathroom all over and left in it. Yu could just see by looking into his eyes he would never be right again. And my sister told me they "social services" were THINKING about pressing charges!? They were thinking about it but as far as I know they never did. The only reason that I can think of that they wouldn't is because it may become a future law suit. The kid is now in some group home because he's unmanageable. Social Services should be in jail. This is disgusting the way this woman was treated.

Oh I hear you on what the system does to these kids, and follow-ups are a joke. I have a good friend that was working for DYFUS, and had to leave because of what she saw, and what wasn't being done. I just didn't think the abuse part pertained to this woman JMO

My sister is doing the same. She has three foster children right now and she said when they leave she is not taking anymore. She is so fed up with the system. She adopted 2 who are now teenagers. The three she has now are 2,4 and I think 6 years old. They are siblings. They are supposed to go back to their mom by January. I know I probably should have put my outburst on another discussion thread but... I just hate the way the system uses children to make money. And all everyone concentrates on is what terrible mothers these women are. I don't think this woman should have been in prison. What about home confinement? It was her first offense.

Stirling is in Scotland UK....the prison is here.....

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/f...efirst7968.html

" A pregnant prisoner who was shackled to security guards while she ate, slept and washed says she still has not received an apology - despite mistakes being admitted. "

It sounds a little odd hey. I dont understand why they would make a guard sleep with her as she was shackled, as it says, like I dont get how they could afford that for every prisoner(24 hours a day). I mean she mustve been special, or they dont have many prisoners, or they have more guards than prisoners. It just sounds odd to me and I cant see how they couldve worked it.. like how would they both sleep? And all for a first offence.

Sorry. I don't feel bad for her one bit. She should have thought about it before attacking someone.

That's incredible! One womens prison in the entire UK!? Compare that with the United States. I bet we hundreds. They must be do something better than we are.

Well hopefully they wouldn't both be sleeping since one of them is supposed to be working. What a job...GOD! Why would someone choose that as their job?