CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Jail officials have confirmed that an inmate gave birth alone in her cell Sunday afternoon, but they said the birth took place in a medical pod at the jail and less than 45 minutes after she was last checked on.
On Sunday, the inmate gave birth in the Montgomery County Jail, as previously reported by Clarksville Now. On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and medical staff completed a review of the incident, according to MCSO spokesman Sgt. Bishop Delaney.
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MCSO provided this timeline of events:
At 11:31 a.m., the inmate, housed in a medical pod, “notified a deputy of a medical concern,” Delaney said. The deputy contacted the medical staff, as per protocol, and a nurse arrived within a few minutes. The nurse, a licensed practical nurse, conducted an assessment and left the cell to consult with additional medical staff.
At 11:54 a.m., a registered nurse arrived and conducted a follow-up assessment. The medical staff then left the cell but continued to assess the situation and order additional medical tests, Delaney said. Deputies continued to check on the inmate during this time.
At 12:41 p.m., a deputy responded to the inmate’s cell and discovered that the inmate had given birth. The deputy assisted the inmate while the jail medical staff and Emergency Medical Services were alerted. Medical staff treated the inmate on scene, and then EMS transported her, and her baby, to the hospital, Delaney said.
A fellow inmate speaking on condition of anonymity told Clarksville Now that the inmate asked to be taken to the hospital, but her request was denied.
The inmate and the baby were in stable condition Tuesday evening and still under hospital care, Delaney said.
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