Pregnant Inmates

hope3456, ASN, RN · May 24, 2005

I read an article in the Denver Post several months ago about this very issue and I remember it stated that the numbers of pregnant women in jail and prison is on the rise. I just really found it disturbing, is all i can say. Actually, I think I also saw a nursing journal article about it to, but I can't remember where. Good luck to you

crjnursewarrior · May 25, 2005

Thanks, Hope, for the reply regarding pregnant inmates. Yes, it truly is disturbing how many pregnant inmates we have had lately. As I said, I do not desire to work OB, but here is a situation where I am forced to whether I like it or not. My fear is that something will happen that we are not equipped to deal with. We send inmates out with any acute emergency, so we would do the same with impending delivery...but my fear is what if the labor is short and the baby gets there before the ambulance...especially if premature and in some kind of distress, especially since most of these females (all 3 that we have pregnant now) have a history of drug abuse. Scary! More evidence to support my mandatory sterilization idea!

nurseT · Jun 3, 2005

I work county, we try to get all pregnant inmates out to DOC immediatley or release until after the birth. We cannot afford the expense. I about died one day when a pregnant female turns herself in on an old warrant. She got mail that morning, it got to the jail before she turned herself in. She did it because she didn't have any money or healthcare. She made all the arrangements to have someone look after her other kids and personal stuff and mails herself some photos of her kids and turns herself in. She cried when we told the judge what she was up to and he lets her go to return to court and face charges 2 weeks after her due date. It must be terrible to feel your life is so bad that you think it would be better to have your child in jail. These people know how to work the system, and we try to stay one step ahead of them.

BabyRN2Be · Jul 18, 2005

I saw this on the news and thought of this forum. Hope this doesn't happen to anyone here. This is the story about a premature baby born at the county jail, it died. Not too many details are given.

http://www.kotv.com/main/home/stories.asp?whichpage=1&id=86926

Hope there's not a lawsuit in the works.

babynurselsa, RN · Jul 18, 2005

I checked the other Tulsa websites. The story was identical. No more info on it.

BabyRN2Be · Jul 18, 2005

Yeah, it went out on the AP wires apparently. The story is identical because all the stations are just copying the AP story. I'd like to know what happened, but apparently there aren't many details on this other than a premature baby died on the 13th floor of the medical ward in an Oklahoma City Jail (Oklahoma County to be exact). No names are being released, and no other details either.

Very sad.

BackOff · Jul 19, 2005

It is so sad that an infant died. But, I don't like the implication that it died because it was born at a correctional medical facility. Preemies have a very difficult time no matter where they are born. The very thought of delivering at my county jail terrifies me even though I have delivered four babies as a paramedic. I work very hard with the judges, probation and inmate to get early release for any pregnant female. I also give a pregnancy test to aniy female booked who is even one day late for her menstrual cycle. I had my last pregnant inmate leave last week. I had not heard the story until I logged in today. I will be praying and thinking of the mother who lost her child.

BabyRN2Be · Jul 19, 2005

It is so sad that an infant died. But, I don't like the implication that it died because it was born at a correctional medical facility. Preemies have a very difficult time no matter where they are born. The very thought of delivering at my county jail terrifies me even though I have delivered four babies as a paramedic. I work very hard with the judges, probation and inmate to get early release for any pregnant female. I also give a pregnancy test to aniy female booked who is even one day late for her menstrual cycle. I had my last pregnant inmate leave last week. I had not heard the story until I logged in today. I will be praying and thinking of the mother who lost her child.

BackOff,

I definitely agree with you that this is a very sad case. And I do want people to understand that I'm absolutely not placing fault with the correctional facility - we just don't have any information and I believe that they're really keeping mum about it due to legal reasons. Yes, I agree, premature babies can die anywhere, in an ambulance or car on the way to the hospital, and even the hospital itself.

I also wanted to mention that I really sympathize with those who work with pregnant immates. While I have not done the exact job, I used to work at a maternity home - it was a "last chance" situation for many of the girls before they were sent to jail. Although it wasn't a prison by any means, the girls did not want to be there and would be very manipulative, including "faking" contractions for attention. Of course, we can't ignore this, but they just want attention and a change of scenery, so they come to me with all sorts of complaints hoping it wins them a ride to the hospital. Most of these complaints came at 3AM. :uhoh3: I have to take this girl to the hospital, round up another set of houseparents to watch my kids, take the girl to the hospital, end up waiting, doc tells them that it's nothing to worry about and that it's not time yet - I've had girls outright lie to me that they are bleeding and they haven't felt the baby move since yesterday. We get to the hospital and an exam is done and a monitor placed on mom to check baby. Low and behold, the cervical os is closed tightly, no blood on exam, and I'm *HEARING* the baby move several times a minute. :angryfire But we have to do it lest we be charged with endangerment or neglect. I lecture this girl on "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" all the way back, and now I've got to start my daily duties on 2 hours of sleep!

Sorry this is long, but I do want to say that I'm definitely not faulting the correctional facility. I understand the manipulation and malingering that nurses working in this area might come up against. And I understand that not every inmate is like that, but there are those who "work the system." There's a lot we don't know yet about this case and probably won't know.

As has been stated before, it's very sad when an infant dies, not matter what the circumstances or facility.

BackOff · Jul 19, 2005

Dear BabyRN2Be,

Sorry you misunderstood. I was not referring to your telling about the baby but the news report. It is sort of like catholic priest, baptist minister, nurse, police office does this or that. This referred to the correctional facility. Would it have been newsworthy if it had occurred in a hospital. Would they have said an inmates premature baby had died at ???hospital? BackOff