A Michigan jail is facing backlash after a woman was seen in a surveillance video being forced to give birth on her cell's floor. It showed her asking to be taken to the hospital due to labor pains but she was prodded to go back to her cell until she finally gave birth.
The incident took place nine months ago at the Macomb County Jail. The woman was identified as Jessica Preston, who was arrested for driving on a suspended license with a bond set at $10,000.
Preston was ordered to spend 14 days behind bars. During that time, she was eight months pregnant, The Cut reported.
Preston said in a statement she began to experience labor pains and complained about it. She asked the prison staff three times to take her to a hospital but they did not listen. The third time she told the staff about her labor pains, there was blood on her legs and that was the time they transferred her to a cell near the medical area.
Prestoon also said she could not believe she gave birth that way. When she complained about the labor pains, she was told to shut up and was called a liar.
"When I started, laying on the on the floor, I said, 'Please don't let me have this baby in here,'" Preston said. She also begged the guards to call an ambulance.
Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said the decision not to take Preston to a hospital was their plan. He contended it was a safe delivery and that Preston has a healthy baby.
Wickersham said he does not like babies born in their jail but the risk of having the baby delivered on the side of the road was something he did not want to happen. He confirmed, however, the closest hospital was three minutes away. The sheriff also said although many people are commenting on the matter on what should have done, he believes his staff acted appropriately.
Fox News also reported that the son of Preston, Elijah, was born a month early and weighed less than five pounds. The husband of Preston said he is angry because he did not see his son's birth.
This is not the first time Macomb County Jail was involved in a scandal. In the past, the jail and the staff were under fire for the deaths of two inmates, Jennifer Meyers and David Stojcevski.
