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The Jackson County Legislature has approved a $50,000 settlement with a woman who sued the county over the use of shackles during pregnancy and labor while in the custody of the Jackson County Detention Center.
Brenda Hill, a spokeswoman for the county, declined to comment on the settlement, citing a confidentiality agreement.
The plaintiff, Megon Riedel, filed a suit in federal court against the county and three unnamed detention center employees in October 2015.<img alt=”Jackson County Detention Center” src=”http://molawyersmedia.com/files/2015/05/Jackson-County-Detention-Center.jpg” width=”194″ height=”260″ />
Riedel was in the end of her third trimester when she entered the detention center in fall 2012, according to her petition. A week before her due date, on Oct. 4, she informed staff she was having contractions and requested transportation to the hospital.
She alleged that a nurse accused her of lying about contractions, but ultimately she was seen by a doctor at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, where a physician noted she was likely in the early stages of labor and also that her pregnancy was high risk.
Riedel was released and returned to the detention center. She returned to Truman after experiencing more frequent contractions, and she was discharged with strict return precautions.
The next day, detention center staff transported her shackled and chained in a van to the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correction Center, in Vandalia, about 192 miles away from the detention center.
When she arrived in Vandalia, she was rushed to Audrain Medical Center in Mexico, where she delivered her child unharmed.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri represented Riedel. In a statement, Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU, said the county’s conduct violated the Constitution.
“Not only is it cruel and unusual punishment, it jeopardizes the health of both mother and baby,” he said. “The terms of the settlement represent a commitment from Jackson County to ensure that what happened to Ms. Riedel does not happen again.”
Beyond the damages awarded to Riedel, the county also agreed to implement written policies and procedures to address the use of restraints and transportation guidelines for pregnant inmates and pre-trial detainees.
The ACLU is also representing a woman in a similar suit in Mississippi County whose child did not survive.
The case is <i>Riedel v. Jackson County, Missouri et al.</i>, 4:15-cv-00803
