Former Inmate Sues Milwaukee County Jail For Keeping Her In Shackles While Giving Birth

A former inmate has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Milwaukee County Jail and Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt.  Sandra Robles says deputies forced her to wear leg shackles while she was giving birth in the winter of 2014.  Her lawsuit doesn’t say why she was in jail when her child was delivered February 24th of that year.  It does label the policy of keeping inmates in shackles as punitive and excessive, violating her 14th Amendment rights.  Prior lawsuits allege some 45 women have had to endure the same practice over the last seven years.