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THE BELLY CHAIN WITH HANDCUFFS AT THE SIDES

In a former entry of this tumblr-blog, a few months ago, I already paid attention to the probably most relaxing form of full restraints, used for transport of prisoners, or during a court-hearing: the belly-chain with the (for security reasons always inevitable) two handcuffs now attached separately to the sides, instead of being fixed as a standard pair to the front of such a chain (sometimes with a black box added) or - a very popular solution - with the connecting short chain inserted through the frontal ring D-ring of a thick leather waist-belt. Of course leg-irons are added to make the whole into a set of full restraints.

As I wrote then commenting on a situation as the one in this pic here: "The way those guys wear their handcuffs is the most comfortable of all alternatives: not a pair linked together on the back, or a pair attached to the belly chain at the front, which would leave little room for manoeuvre. Because there are handcuffs attached separately to the side, the prisoners can let their arms hang down next to their upper bodies in a very natural way".

Since a few days I am the happy owner of such a belly-chain with side-cuffs, manufactured by good old Smith & Wesson. I got the stuff from a German mail order-company, specialized in cuffs and shackles of all kind from all over the world. Here's a pic from their site.

To give the most important measurements: The chain from the large O-ring at one end to the place where the short chain with the first handcuff is secured to a small O-ring is about 30 cm long. That short chain is just 7 cm long. The length between the O-rings with the handcuffs is about 35 cm. The remaining chain on the other side until the final small O-ring is about 65 cm long, so all together about 130 cm: so that should be sufficient for more corpulent inmates too.

In my case it turned out that, to prevent the belly-chain from sagging under the weight of the heavy padlock (a Masterlock), I needed to use the most tight position possible. So I had to put the heavy padlock through the first O-ring of the whole range, just some 10 cm beyond the second handcuff. It means that in my case a fairly large part of the belly-chain hangs down folded in half against one buttock.

This belly-chain with side-cuffs is rather comfortable to wear, as it indeed gives much more room for manoeuvre than the most frequent alternatives. To be sure: when the belly-chain is applied in a tight way and both handcuffs are locked securely, escaping from your restraints is just as impossible as with the black-box variant. But you can do much more independently, and that for sure is not only an advantage for the restrained inmate but also - supposing that he is not a violent, but an easy one - in a way for the guards, as he needs less support with some standard physical actions.

Of course I tried out what was possible and impossible, while being restrained this way. In the first place, you can cross your arms in a way. A lot of prisoners do automatically. This pic shows the left cuffed inmate nearly doing the same as his free lawyer next to him.

So, if you have access to the key, you can - what's impossible with a pair of handcuffs attached to the frontal D-ring of a waistbelt, let alone with a black box - free yourself, at least, if you place the handcuffs in such a way that the keyholes are on the inside, so both keyholes pointing to each other. If crossing hands is easy, this too.

Then the short chains connecting the cuffs to the belly-chain turns out to be just long enough to enable you to put the key in the handcuff around the other wrist with one hand and turn it. I didn't dare to see if that would work with the keyholes on the outside. Maybe just about. No doubt a careful guard for that reason would always choose the latter option (and of course make sure the prisoner can't get to any key). Anyhow: much more freedom of movement than in case of the waist-belt with D-ring-plus-handcuffs.

Compare!: the lucky three inmates above can swing their hands rather freely in one or the other direction: crossing hands or keeping them far apart at will, the chain connecting their handcuffs to the belly-chain offering a turning circle with a radius of 10 centimeters.

The inmate who has to wear that leather waist-belt finds his wrists almost immovably fixed to the D-ring of that belt, the supershort chain between both cuffs leaving only very little room for manoeuvre: he can do no more than turn his hands a bit inside the cuffs. He can't lift them, he can't move them apart, he can just fold them to pray.

What’s further possible? The handcuffs allow you with some pains to eat with help of your hands. Drinking is nearly as difficult as with the alternatives - waistbelt and black-box – as you can’t reach high enough with your hands to tip a cup without spilling.

Completely problem-free are all those actions for which you barely have to lift your hands: like unfastening the bottom snap of your striped prison jumpsuit to pee. Also peeing itself is easy. As is signing documents like your confession of guilt during your trial in court - with a black-box that is really much more difficult. Taking an oath seems a bit more difficult to me, because there is no actual raising of your hand; it remains a modest gesture. Compare this pic if two inmates with sidecuffs with that clip of one wearing a black-box

To be sure: forget every attempt to serious resistance. Although you can move your hands rather free around and therefore will not suffer from cramps quickly, you are really no match for any guard. He just grabs you by the shoulder and in case of obstinate behavior pushes or pulls you in the desired direction, without you being able to do anything about it. Thus no guard has to fear real violence by an inmate who is restrained this way.

Prisoners can therefore also do little physical harm to each other; if they all walk around in the common area shackled like this, the guards have much less to worry about; the risk of bloody fights is - as long as no knives have been smuggled in - minimal.

In fact, this kind of belly-chain with side-cuffs could be worn by inmates during most hours of the days without being a huge obstacle to many of their average actions. They can play cards, they can write letters (I myself wrote a large part of this text on my PC while being in handcuffs), and when it’s time for dinner, they can carry a tray and serve a plate. With a little bit of leaning forward you can also get the food into your mouth without making too much of a mess.

And a very big advantage: you can also do all kinds of physical work in it. Not everything of course, but those where you don't have to lift your hands too much, ad/or can keep them a piece apart. Use a shovel or broom, push a wheelbarrow par example. Some other jobs can probably be done very well with two people, with a specific division of labor. In other words: the necessary community work outside the prison walls can be done by inmates who are fitted out with this bellychain with side-cuffs, of course in combination with leg-irons to minimize the risk of escape. That is safe for everybody!

Because: a lot of the community work you see in the next pictures, could be done while staying restrained outside in the way described.

Dragging bags of waste or other contents...Yes, you do have to wear them differently in that case... Like the guys on our very first pic...

Collecting waste - you then can do it together: one inmate holds the plastic bag open, the other scoops up the dirt and throws it in.

Caring for plants, if you place them at the appropriate height.

This would be no problem while sidecuffed - instead of those bins with the laundry you can also push a wheelbarrow with manure.

A shovel, a broom, pruning shears, a rake: using them is no problem.

Most of this work can be done with a belly-chain-plus-sidecuffs too...

And what will they do in the fields that can be done in restraints?

So, let's go for it. Three inmates i n prison stripes ready for transport to work. Will their leg-irons and belly-chain plus side-handcuffs stay on, once arrived at the site where they have to do community-work?