Lawsuit: Woman shackled during pregnancy at Milwaukee jail

By: Associated Press//March 16, 2017//

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By IVAN MORENO
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A woman who was pregnant while detained at the Milwaukee County jail alleges in a lawsuit against the sheriff that she was shackled while she was in labor.

The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks class-action status, claiming at least 40 other women experienced similar circumstances at the jail since 2011.

The lawsuit contends that 27-year-old Melissa Hall was shackled during her hospitalization for pre-natal care, labor, and post-partum treatment. Hall was incarcerated in 2013 from February through August, but the lawsuit doesn’t say why she was being detained.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to the lawsuit, but generally the county can’t comment on pending litigation.

Last week, the sons of an inmate who died of dehydration at the jail last year also sued the sheriff.

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