Jail requires pregnancy test of female inmates

I don't see how anyone could complain about this. Don't women want better prenatal care in jail? It would also keep them out of what could become dangerous situations with the other inmates. I say it is a great program.

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I'm usually with the ACLU but not this time. If these women can get decent, early prenatal care by locating them in one facility, good for KY.

If the women aren't complaining, where is the protest coming from?

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I'm all for the pregnancy tests... better prenatal care, etc. But I have a bit of a problem with the scheduled C-sections. Why should every one of these inmates have to have a C-section? Why can't they just give birth? So it's not scheduled... so what? Seems like it would save the state a bunch of money if the births were allowed to progress naturally. I'm all for a C-section where it's needed (after all, I had one), but to mandate them because it's easier? Eeh, I think I'll go with the ACLU on this one point.

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This is so Orwellian. Just because they are female that are assumed to be pregnant. Disgusting. I'm sure the lesbian inamtes just love this.

As for the forced c-sections, that is barbaric.

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I'm with LB. Forced c-sections are barbaric.

The good care, and better protection from injury, seem like good steps, though.

- L

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Are the C-sections mandatory? I didn't read it that way but on re-reading it that may be the case.

In that event, I'm back with the ACLU. A C-section for no good reason would undercut all the good a program like this might do.

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Tell me again how a 9-month-old pregnant woman can escape from prison. Wouldn't it be pretty obvious if she was? I agree with above commenters that scheduled c-sections should not be mandatory.

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This discussion got me thinking - what happens to the babies of inmate women? Are they taken away right after their birth? Do they stay with their mothers? Are they allowed visits? What about breastfeeding?

In any situation, this has got to be one of the worst ways to start your life.

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I agree with all the outraged ladies....

BUT......on the other hand......when they commit a crime they give up their rights as citizens. It is a tough one.

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The ACLU isn't protesting the C-sections. Which, I agree, is barbaric. They're protesting the tests, which the inmates actually appear to support.

I think the ACLU has its priorities skewed.

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Err: 9 months pregnant ! ;-)

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Keri - It's a lot easier to escape from a hospital...especially if your husband/boyfriend is told the date of the blessed event. I worked for the local jail in my county. We always sent a deputy to stay outside the inmate's hospital room. Even so, it's still much easier to escape from a hospital than a jail.

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JesM, I would respectfully disagree. People who commit crimes have rights. Your laws and courts say so. But even leaving aside that fact, they do NOT give up their rights as human beings. Forcing an invasive, unnecessary medical procedure on a pregnant woman--AND her baby--is wrong. period.

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I think that the woman quoted in the article was scheduled for a c-section - not that all inmates who are pregnant in jail get c-sections, whether they like it or not. The sentence should've probably read:

"The lack of notification is standard for pregnant inmates , but frustrating to someone like Robinson."

This line annoyed the crap out of me, though:

"That's the only thing I hate about having a baby in jail. I can't tell my family," Robinson said. "They won't see him until he's three days old."

You should've probably thought of that BEFORE you broke the law!!! Argh...

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Hey, guess what, if you put something in carats, it disappears. The sentence that should've read differently should've probably read "The lack of notification is standard for pregnant inmates who are scheduled to have c-sections, but frustrating to someone like Robinson."

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http://www.corrections.ky.gov/news/DOCLaunchesPregnancy.htm

The link is the only other info I could find. It included a phone # to KY Dept of Corrections so I called them to ask about the C-sections. They didn't know; said that I could get that info from their medical dept which had just closed for the day.

I'll try again tomorrow; meantime if anyone wants that phone #, let me know. My email address on my blog sidebar.

I don't have a huge problem with the pregnancy tests even though part of me considers it an invasion of privacy. So, I suppose, is mandatory drug testing or strip searches. It's all a part of being incarcerated.

But not mandatory surgery which I still find very hard to believe and why I made my phone call.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/national/02shackles.html?ex=1298955600&en=afd1d2d6614d34d6&ei=5088

This article says there have been NO recorded escape attempts. Upon re-reading I agree it's not clear that c/s are planned for all expecting inmates, so thanks Ann for reporting/factchecking on this.

This NYT article also cites the prison pregnancy rate at %5, which seems sort of low to make it worth testing all the supposedly eligible prisoners.

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LB, you're welcome. I'll feel much better to hear it actually confirmed by Kentucky though. I was pretty sure the ACLU would jump all over mandatory surgery before they'd worry about moving prisoners away from their families which happens all the time here in CA, especially with women.

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Sometimes the facilities for pregnant women are enlightened enough that babies can stay with incarcerated moms for a few weeks or months, which is a great thing in some cases.

I'd love to know the answer to the C sec question.

Around here, moms are shackled to the bed for birth coming from one jail. A childbirth educator I know doulas for incarcerated women and does childbirth prep in the prison. Women she attends are allowed to birth unshackled thanks to her requests.

I know this has been an issue for uninsured women, but for women who need pain relief during labor, it might not be available unless it's a surgical delivery. Stupid, but it has cropped up where an uninsured patient was asked for cash before getting an epidural. Natural is best, but women should be treated with dignity. Even prisoners.

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