The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office was back in federal court on Thursday facing abuse allegations from pregnant inmates.
Back in January, six former and current women inmates, some who were pregnant, filed a lawsuit alleging abuses, including forcing women to agree to abortions.
But the sheriff’s office denies the allegations. A jury trial could happen as early as May.
This comes after a federal judge tabled the plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction, asking for more medical information.
The plaintiffs wanted to have the remaining pregnant women at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin transferred to more comfortable conditions.
Debbie Johnston has taken interest in this case after her 22-year-old daughter was arrested earlier this month and booked into Santa Rita.
Her daughter is not part of the lawsuit now but could be added soon.
Debbie says in recent weeks, her daughter has complained about how she’s been treated behind bars.
She’s 3 months pregnant.
“She’s terrified,” Johnston said. “She thinks they’re going to make her lose her baby.”
The lawsuit was filed by six former and current women inmates. Four of them were pregnant.
Two of them had miscarriages. They allege that the Alameda County Jail is not safe for pregnant women.
Among the claims, it accuses Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputies, who run the facility, of making pregnant women agree to abortions–and not providing proper nutrition or clothing.
“You can punish people–I get that, but you can’t treat them like animals and you can’t treat them with such lack of humanity and lack of caring just because they happen to be in jail and pregnant,” Johnston said.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office denies the allegations and says it’s confident its attorneys will prove their case in court.