Pregnant inmate in solitary confinement gives birth on toilet in TN jail, lawsuit says
A Kentucky woman first learned she was having a baby when she was booked into a Tennessee jail, according to a lawsuit. Eight days later, she says, she gave birth alone on a toilet in a cell while in solitary confinement.
Alyssia Moulton, 35, filed a lawsuit Tuesday, Aug. 6, against Southern Health Partners, Inc., the medical provider for Montgomery County Jail in Tennessee, citing “deliberate indifference to medical needs and other claims arising from pregnant inmate delivering baby into a jail toilet.” The lawsuit cites her young son as a plaintiff.
According to the lawsuit, Moulton was taken to Montgomery County Jail Aug. 19, 2023, on a burglary charge — the same day she received a positive pregnancy test.
On Aug. 27, Moulton delivered her baby, alone and without pain medication, the lawsuit says.
“This case raises important questions about the incarceration of pregnant women,” lawyer Christopher Smith said in a statement.
Moulton’s case is not the only incident that points to a lack of resources and preparations jails have for incarcerated pregnant women. A study by the National Library of Medicine found that pregnant inmates have higher risk factors associated with poor perinatal outcomes than women in the general population.
According to a news release by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to the inmate’s cell — identified in the lawsuit as Moulton — and discovered she had given birth. The deputy helped the inmate while medical staff and EMS were alerted before transporting her and the baby to the hospital.
As a result of being born into a toilet, the baby sustained injuries including a blood infection and eye infection, the lawsuit says. Moulton also suffered “extreme physical pain and emotional distress,” according to the lawsuit.
McClatchy News has reached out to Southern Health Partners, Inc. for comment and is awaiting a response.
Other claims to indifference to medical needs cited by the lawsuit include not receiving evaluation by a medical doctor during the pregnancy, not receiving medication for opioid use disorder — despite knowledge that Moulton had been on opioids while pregnant — and subjecting her to solitary confinement.
Guidance from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care states “pregnant women should be excluded from solitary confinement of any duration.”
After Moulton was discharged back to jail Aug. 29, she was kept again in solitary confinement until Sep. 5, despite several requests to move her, according to the lawsuit.
“We hope this lawsuit shines a light on this often-overlooked social issue and raises awareness of the civil rights of pregnant inmates,” Smith said.
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Pregnant inmate in solitary confinement gives birth on toilet in TN jail, lawsuit says."
