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A federal prisoner jailed at the Lackawanna County Prison gave birth in her cell Tuesday morning after trying in vain to convince guards to take her to a hospital because she was in labor, the woman's grandmother charged Friday. An internal prison report confirms the woman gave birth in her cell. Shakira Staten, 22, of Chambersburg, had a baby girl whose umbilical cord had to be cut by a female guard using her fingernails, said the grandmother, Loannza Staten. The elder Ms. Staten, 55, spoke by telephone from her Chambersburg, Franklin County, home. She said her granddaughter, who was due to give birth later this month, repeatedly screamed she was going into labor but was ignored until the baby was delivered. She did not know how long her granddaughter had asked for help, but said she was sure it was a significant length of time. "You're not even allowed to treat animals like that," Ms. Staten said. "I don't want this to happen to anyone else." She said her granddaughter was in a local hospital room and called her after the birth, although officials at the three city hospitals said they had no information on Shakira Staten. Ms. Staten said her granddaughter and the baby are doing well. Lackawanna County Prison Warden Janine Donate did not deny the incident happened, but repeatedly refused to confirm that it did. She cited a federal privacy law related to medical treatment as her reason for not commenting. "I can't discuss these kinds of things," she said. She declined comment on whether anyone faces discipline over the incident, calling it a personnel matter, but also said, "I have no disciplinary issues." County Commissioner A.J. Munchak, the commissioner assigned to oversee the prison, did not return repeated phone calls and Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro was also unavailable. Commissioner Mike Washo declined to comment. County Sheriff John Szymanski, a member of the prison board, said he knew nothing of the incident. Other board members were unavailable. Two internal prison incident reports obtained by The Times-Tribune detail the prison officials' response, including difficulty calling an ambulance service, as well as the county 911 center. One report indicated some phones in the prison central control room may not have been working. The reports, made out by guards on duty at the time, give no indication of any delay or problem with prison officials' response, nor do they mention how the umbilical cord was cut. One report says the baby wasn't breathing for an unspecified period of time, but a guard cleared her airway and got her breathing. One of the reports says a guard emerged from Ms. Staten's cellblock holding the baby and yelling, "Call 911," but the second says several calls to 911 were met with a busy signal. Direct calls to an ambulance company were reaching a private home, the same report says. A guard reached the county 911 center on a non-emergency number to get an ambulance, according to the other report. Shakira Staten was charged by federal prosecutors in April in Franklin County with manufacturing, distributing and possessing 5 grams or more of crack with intent to deliver it. She agreed last month to plead guilty to a felony count of misusing a phone to commit a felony drug crime and is facing up to four years in jail, according to federal records. She has yet to enter a formal plea. The county prison regularly houses federal prisoners from the 33-county U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, which includes Franklin County. "I feel if she did wrong, she should be punished for it," Ms. Staten said of her granddaughter. "If you did wrong, you should have to pay for it, but she doesn't deserve to be treated like this." Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com ©The Times-Tribune 2007 |
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We are careful not to duplicate the efforts of other organizations, and as a grassroots coalition of prisoners and social reformers, our resources (time and money) are limited. The vast expertise and scope of the various drug reform organizations will enable you to stay informed on the ever-changing, many-faceted aspects of the movement. Our colleagues in reform also give the latest drug war news. Please check their websites often. |
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