Jailed Before Birth
Women demand better care for pregnant inmates
By Amy Kamp, Fri., Nov. 14, 2014
On August 13 of this year, Shela Williams went into induced labor in order to deliver her son, Israel, who had died in the womb. She labored throughout the night into the next day, while chained to her bed with a guard standing watch, until she finally gave birth.
Israel's due date wasn't until Nov. 16. But Williams' pregnancy was high risk, and she needed specialized care, which she had been receiving until she was sent to the Travis County Jail for a probation violation. It's impossible to know how things would have turned out for Israel if Williams had gotten the same care in jail as she'd been receiving outside of it, but it's clear her baby's death haunts Williams.
Last Thursday (Nov. 6), she stood silently before the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) and cried while Kellee Coleman told her story. Coleman works with Mama Sana/Vibrant Woman, a local collective of midwives and doulas. Along with other organizations, including the Texas Jail Project, the ACLU of Texas, and Amnesty International USA, Mama Sana has been asking the TCJS to enforce the standards of care required by law, to improve those standards, and to track infant and maternal mortality in Texas jails. "Babies don't have to die unnecessarily," said Coleman.
Later Williams elaborated on what had happened to her and Israel. While she was pregnant, some of the nurses tried to do what they could for her, but they didn't always have enough resources to help her. Most of the guards were less sympathetic, and saw no reason to treat Williams any differently than the rest of the inmates.
After Israel died, Williams wanted to be able to attend his funeral. For whatever reason, at the last minute, her request was denied without explanation. She feels especially heartbroken over that; she never got to say goodbye properly. She said her older son, who is 6, still asks her why she didn't go to Israel's funeral.
Her story is not an isolated incident, nor a case of bad luck. Even though Texas jails are required by law to provide adequate nutrition and medical care to pregnant women, scores of inmates and their families are claiming that isn't happening. Although sheriffs and jail staff are often suspicious of these claims, the TCJS members did appear to show genuine concern Thursday. They've been working with Mama Sana and the Texas Jail Project to find ways to improve the current situation, although advocates worry that the results might not materialize, or might be contrary to what they intended.
However, the current laws requiring certain medical care for pregnant inmates were passed recently, in 2009, and only after lobbying by the Texas Jail Project and other groups. In order to get those standards enforced and improved, inmates, their families, and their advocates will have to continue making sure the issue stays on the agenda of the TCJS.
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