An independent review is needed for how Tulare County Jail treats pregnant inmates
A pregnant female inmate should not have to bleed for three straight days to force jail officials to get her proper medical care.
Yet that is what may have happened in Tulare County.
Alexandra Meza was in the jail serving a one-year sentence for felony driving under the influence when she began bleeding. At the time of her incarceration, she was at risk of needing an emergency C-section and early delivery. When she began bleeding, Meza understandably became concerned.
“Blood meant that I needed to see a doctor, and every time I would tell them (jail staff) about it, they would just brush it off,” she said to Bee staff writer Yesenia Amaro. “They would even make me, like, pull my pants down and show them that I was actually bleeding, like I was lying or something.”
After she bled for three days straight, the jail staff finally took Meza to a hospital for treatment. A month later, a judge decided she was no longer a threat, and ordered Meza released so she could get necessary medical care. Two months later she gave birth to a son, and today they are doing well.
The situation was similar to two other cases cited by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. In a second case, a judge ordered the release of a pregnant inmate so she could get proper treatment. In the third, a medical emergency care modification hearing allowed a pregnant inmate to be freed.
State law backs medical care
The fact these three women were convicted of violating the law and were inmates was immaterial to receiving proper care for their pregnancies.
California law is clear that county jails are to provide pregnant inmates with proper medical attention. That means timely examinations, and the use of specialists as needed when pregnancies develop risk factors.
In the three cases highlighted by the ACLU, requests by the inmates to see doctors were routinely ignored by the jail staff.
A law that went into effect last year requires jails to schedule a pregnancy examination within seven days of an inmate entering the facility. Pregnant inmates are also to have a nutritious diet that their doctor has approved.
Even when female inmates are having trouble-free pregnancies, they are not to be restrained like other inmates, according to state law.
Sheriff denies claims
It seems unlikely the ACLU is making up an issue. The group cited specific details about each case, and reported judicial actions that led to the women being released to get care.
But Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux strongly denied the lack-of-care contentions in a statement emailed to The Bee’s Editorial Board:
“I am aware of the inaccurate statements made by all three inmates and vehemently deny them. I insist on strict oversight as it pertains to the mental and physical health of all inmates, including those who are pregnant. And I am confidant in the sound care these women received that goes above and beyond state guidelines.”
He accused the ACLU of trying to create a “false narrative” regarding his department.
So where does the truth lie in this situation? One way to find out is to have an independent review of how the jail treats pregnant inmates. If the sheriff is confident he would be vindicated, he should welcome such scrutiny.
Should an investigation uphold the women’s claims, then Boudreaux must make clear to jail staff that humane treatment is the standard, with no exceptions. That is both the legal standard and right thing to do.