this post was submitted on 13 May 2026

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513

Alabama woman sues alleging she gave birth on prison floor as guards watched (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 day ago by velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/news@lemmy.world

56 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The lawsuit, filed by Pregnancy Justice on behalf of McElroy and her daughter, further claims that medical staff gave her only a diaper and Tylenol while she endured severe pain and worried about the safety of her baby.

According to the complaint, another inmate eventually assisted McElroy in delivering a baby girl who was not breathing when she was born on the prison floor, as prison guards watched. The filing says two women housed in the same pod attempted to revive the newborn by removing mucus from her mouth and rubbing her until she finally cried.

The complaint also alleges that, after the delivery, a guard told the women: “Y’all should’ve pushed that motherfucking baby back in” and punished the women on the cell block, prohibiting them from going outside and to religious services, and revoking phone privileges.

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[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 12 points 3 hours ago

I read the whole article, twice, to make sure I wasn't hallucinating how fucked up this was.

McElroy, who was being held on charges stemming from an allegation of substance use during pregnancy

She was put in jail on charges stemming from potentially endangering the life of her child via drug use. However, when it came to actually protecting the life of the child in question;

According to the complaint, another inmate eventually assisted McElroy in delivering a baby girl who was not breathing when she was born on the prison floor, as prison guards watched. The filing says two women housed in the same pod attempted to revive the newborn by removing mucus from her mouth and rubbing her until she finally cried.

Motherfucking guards watching this unfold, then did jack shit to help the child when it wasn't breathing. God fucking damn. Stop the world I want to get off.

If anyone is interested, you can get the court filings here, through the pregnancy justice website.

[–] Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world 13 points 7 hours ago

Why do people from decent countries make the decision to ever travel to the US?

[–] morysal@lemmy.world 16 points 9 hours ago

Even people who fully support tough prison systems should be able to agree this is the kind of thing that makes a country look morally broken.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 110 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

McElroy, who was being held on charges stemming from an allegation of substance use during pregnancy

"You've been accused of potentially harming your baby, so we're going to deny you medical care to make sure of it!"

Fucking barbaric. Every single one of the law enforcement personnel involved ought to be [redacted].

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 19 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Allow me. "Fucking barbaric. Every single one of the law enforcement personnel involved ought to be executed."

[–] Aneb@lemmy.world 8 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah this ain't Meta we can be as specific as we want

[–] cecilkorik@piefed.ca 2 points 17 hours ago

Praise the Omnissiah!

[–] youcantreadthis@quokk.au 3 points 21 hours ago

Every pig ever they're all like thus they just don't all show it

[–] Triton420@mander.xyz 131 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I’d bet those guards consider themselves pro life

[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 90 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I bet they'd beat a woman to death for having an abortion

[–] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 14 points 15 hours ago

They'd beat a pregnant women to death for trying to get an abortion

[–] velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 63 points 1 day ago

They punished the other women who helped with the birth, so yeah.

[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 40 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And deeply christian

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As my mother used to say, deep as the deepest one. Never much cared for calling people or things satanic, but she loved it for a minute

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 5 points 21 hours ago

...Cthulu?

[–] notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 day ago

Yep, and their pro life stance includes babies with multiple women, who are left to take care of the resulting children on their own while being judged for maintaining a ‘broken home’ by these very same fucks.

[–] modus@lemmy.world 3 points 23 hours ago

And also the father.

[–] katzimir@lemmy.world 21 points 20 hours ago

Seeing lots of dehumanizing wording here. I think it is important to acknowledge that this behaviour - as disgusting as it is - is very very very human. Humans who abuse other humans under the excuse of being the better humans because morals each group uses for themselves to justify dehumanizing the other group. only if we are aware of how the human condition is affecting how we approach the world can we find a way to make this world a place that holds hope for those who are not in power! Also: pigs are great creatures that dont display antisocial behaviour like seen here.

[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 77 points 1 day ago (7 children)

The prison system needs to be abolished

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 1 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

Where will we imprison the MAGAs?

[–] Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Wall.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 1 points 35 minutes ago

That works for me.

[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

This is going to sound crazy but, we don't. We create a global standard for education that all of humanity maintains for the betterment of the next generation and the MAGAs will naturally vanish.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

That's great for the future, but the past MAGAs who have done so much damage still need to be dealt with decisively. They don't get to just walk away from the treason, corruption, and pedophilia.

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 hours ago

Something that's been made very clear from existing penal systems, both in America and elsewhere, is that incarceration doesn't actually solve anything: it does give people the chance to reform, and whilst punitive justice may give some initial catharsis to people who have been victimised, restorative justice is a much better path for healing for all.

That doesn't mean we should let them get away with the awful things they've done. The damage that has been wrought was done so largely by people who have power, and thus they should not be trusted with that kind of power again (tbf, that kind of power is stuff that no-one should have, but still). We don't need to take away their basic rights in order to do that.

I know that there would be a heckton of people for whom figuring out a way forwards is far from simple, in terms of how to remedy past harms when the people responsible may have no inclination to try help with that. This would be such a radical departure from how justice has typically functioned that there would be a tremendous amount of learning to be done in terms of how to implement this, as well as difficult periods whilst the benefits of a more compassionate society would not yet be fully evident yet. However, I don't think it'll be possible to build something genuinely better if we give into our desire for punitive justice.

Because don't get me wrong, I want to punish them. I want them to suffer for what they've done — I want to be one of the people hurting them, even. But I don't want to be the kind of person who wants that kind of thing, because I don't think it's productive for society or for me. If we want to be better, we have to choose to be better

[–] Insekticus@aussie.zone 48 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's built to dehumanize the inmates. Capitalism can't function without it and until it is burnt to the ground, it'll keep happening.

[–] spitfire@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

And you it’s supposed to resocialise them. It works when done properly. But in the US&A it’s just a money making machine

[–] JangleJack@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Came here to say it. Glad to find it said. Everyone's rights are threatened by this.

[–] defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (4 children)

What are your thoughts on reforming it to the level of the Norweigen system instead of abolishing in an absolute sense?

I'd like to hear an argument as to why that, combined with abolishing capitalism in favor of a system that prioritizes mutual aid, such as anarchism, wouldn't work, especially when it comes to violent criminals or power seekers/exploiters.

[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 5 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

It would be up to the community. If anything anarchism is the only form of government that is resistant to bad actors "taking it over" because it would just result in what is essentially a village cult while the sane communities cut ties with them. There cannot be a permanent council or alliance of communities that govern their spheres of influence or else you aren't really practicing anarchism as you've just built an unnecessary hierarchy.

Edit: but to clarify, the community would ultimately choose how to deal with these members. Whatever method, good or bad, that may be.

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[–] dreksob@feddit.online 31 points 23 hours ago

This is what republicans mean by "protecting women"

[–] Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip 36 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Thats... Maybe a new depth of just how traumatic of experiences we as humans can subject eachother to....

Holy fucking Christ man.

[–] velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

She was afraid she was going to die on the floor and never see her other children again.

[–] CentipedeFarrier@piefed.social 29 points 1 day ago

Which is a legit concern, birth is a major medical event with possible complications galore even if it goes well, and literally an emergency in many cases. Women die during childbirth all the time even with the best care.

[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago

New depth? If this is a peak for you in how aweful humans can be to their own, leave it at that and stop looking.

[–] youcantreadthis@quokk.au 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You have never worked with populations targeted by police this is pretty normal for them it just doesn't happen to straight cis white women with housing very often I've seen worse this calendar month on three separate occasions this is literally every cop I won't even tell you my stpry

[–] Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah thats fair, our system sucks shit and its a common problem that horrible things only get coverage when they happen to cis/hetero-normative white people, but does horrific shit to poor minorities all the time without anyone hearing about it :(

I don't work in social work and fortunately none of my friends are without housing, so its not something I'd hear about happening to people

[–] youcantreadthis@quokk.au 0 points 12 hours ago

Every pig is like this they're not human

[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 32 points 1 day ago

That deputy whining that they'd fire her for helping is in no way qualified to work with prisoners or anyone vulnerable.

[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world 14 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

America really has a way of making you a misanthrope. Disgusting demons purposely put in positions of power.

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[–] Wataba@sh.itjust.works 7 points 23 hours ago

America is riddled with inhuman scum.

[–] frightful5680@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

No one ever seriously says Sweet Home Alabama

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 4 points 1 day ago

Lock those fuckers up and throw away the keys

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