(VIDEO in Spanish): Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Forces Woman to Give Birth While Shackled

Telemundo 52 recently reported on Alma Minerva Chacon, a woman who was terrorized by Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio by being forced to give birth in chains despite the pleading of nurses and other medical staff.

This article was originally published at Latina.com.

The news team for Telemundo 52 recently reported on Alma Minerva Chacon, a woman who was terrorized by Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Unfortunately, she is just the latest in a long line of Latinos who
have suffered at the hands of the ruthless Sheriff whose personal goal
is to rid Arizona of all "illegals" and just maybe, all Latinos. Arpaio
has repeatedly stated that he is breaking no laws and just enforcing
the constitution by arresting more than 600 Latinos a year. But the
problem with his tactics is that less than half of those arrested are
even in this country illegally.

The most recent atrocity committed by the self-proclaimed "America’s
Toughest Sheriff" involves a woman who was detained while 9-months
pregnant. Alma Minerva Chacon’s case has been receiving media attention
due to the brutality with which she was treated. The very same night of
her arrest, Chacon went into labor and found herself afraid and alone,
being rushed to a local hospital with her hands and legs chained in
shackles.

Once she reached the hospital, nurses repeatedly begged the Sheriff’s
staff to allow them to unchain the mother, but they refused and Chacon
was forced to give birth while still shackled to the bed. At one point,
the nurse asked for them to release her so that she could be escorted
to the bathroom for a urinalysis, but even that request was denied. But
the worst came once Chacon gave birth to her baby girl.

Still chained to the bed, Arpaio’s police staff refused to allow Chacon
to hold her newborn baby and then warned her that if no one came to
pick up the child within 72 hours, she would be turned over into state
custody. Telemundo 52 sat down with Chacon and let her tell her side of
the story. Check out the interview below and if you don’t support
Sheriff Arpaio’s barbaric practices sign the petition at www.SheriffJoeMustGo.com:

The following Telemundo report is in Spanish.

This and other disgusting but true news about women and incarceration can be found at www.realcostofprisons.org/blog/