Pregnant Female Prisoners at Santa Rita Inhumanely Treated – Lawsuit

Federal Suit Charges Pregnant Female Prisoners at Alameda County Santa Rita Jail Inhumanely Treated – Coerced to Abort by Authorities

OAKLAND  –  Pregnant female prisoners are inhumanely treated and coerced to have abortions at the Alameda County Jail (Santa Rita) – women have had recent miscarriages and one gave birth alone in solitary confinement –  according to a new federal lawssuit naming Alameda County, the Alameda County Jail, the Alameda County Sheriff and dozens of individual officers as defendants.

Details available at the news conference.

At least three pregnant female prisoners are asking the court for “emergency relief” because they’ve repeatedly been denied medical attention, warm clothing, blankets, nutritious food and fresh air.

The lawsuit charges they’ve been told to agree to an abortion by defendants  – other pregnant women, including those who have miscarried, were similarly “scorned, branded and mistreated” by the jail. The women seek injunctive relief under the U.S. and state constitutions, and are asking the court to require a total cessation of inhumane and sexually biased treatment at Santa Rita, according to Bay Area civil rights lawyers Yolanda Huang and Dennis Cunningham.