A federal lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for California, Northern District. The plaintiffs, six current and former Santa Rita jail inmates, claim that they were forced to have abortions and were subjected to “barbaric” treatment. Some of the plaintiffs alleged that they miscarried and one plaintiff stated that she gave birth while she was in solitary confinement and had no medical care or an attendant during the birth. A representative from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant Ray Kelly, confirmed that one of the plaintiffs did give birth alone because a hospital visit determined that she was in false labor.
Pregnant Inmates Are “Unsafe” in Santa Rita Jail
The “barbaric” treatment alleged by the plaintiffs included denial of medical attention, proper clothing, blankets, healthy food, and fresh air according to plaintiff attorney Yolanda Huang. Huang stated at a recent news conference that, “A woman who is pregnant is unsafe in Alameda County jail.” When the lawsuit was filed, Santa Rita jail five pregnant inmates who currently receive prenatal care.
