As for how "soft" the restraint was, Mendiola-Martinez described it as being plastic on the end with a chain tying her to the bed. And as she explained above, it was hardly comfortable.
Michael Murphy, spokesman for the county hospital, stated that doctors and staff defer to law enforcement on the issue of shackling pregnant moms. Records I obtained from Maricopa Integrated Health System after Mendiola-Martinez signed a release form, confirmed that she was, in fact, shackled following her C-section.
The child was not large (6 pounds, 7 ounces), according to Mendiola-Martinez, who wonders whether the lack of food she received while in jail might have somehow harmed the baby she was carrying.
Arpaio has often bragged that he feeds dogs in his kennels better than his prisoners. This was certainly the case for Mendiola-Martinez. Her first meal of the day while in jail was some bread, two slices of cheese, crackers, and two small cartons of milk.
The second meal was often so vile she could not eat it: grotesque, ground mystery meat, oily bread, maybe some steamed vegetables.
I'll leave it to the women out there who've been pregnant to determine whether those two meals sound like enough for an expectant mother. Fortunately, the food she received at the hospital was far more fortifying.
ICE's decision not to take Mendiola-Martinez into custody is admirable. Attorney Salvatierra went so far as describing the agency's actions as "putting on a new face." But ICE still allows Arpaio to maintain the 287(g) program in his jails, even though the MCSO's street authority was jerked in 2009.
Mendiola-Martinez had an ICE hold on her. True, she was in MCSO's custody, not ICE's. But how can ICE continue to partner with a facility so infamous — and often deadly for those inside? How can it reconcile Arpaio's systemic cruelty with the federal government's own guidelines?
I'm sure many in Arizona, and elsewhere, will applaud Mendiola-Martinez's treatment, her shackling, and the poor nutrition she received while pregnant. I can already hear them blaming any harm to her child on her own actions.
I was thinking of this when I asked Mendiola-Martinez why she named her child Angel. She described one of her phone calls to relatives while she was incarcerated.
"My aunt told me to name the baby Angel because he is the one accompanying me into the darkness," she remembered, glancing at her child sleeping next to her. "I wasn't sure about it, but before the C-section, the name came to me. I prayed to the angels in heaven to help me get through this. And they did."
LINDA AND JOE
Tucson native and rock diva Linda Ronstadt denounced Sheriff Joe as a heartless tyrant when I spoke to her the other day for my Feathered Bastard blog. Can't say that I'd disagree with her, considering Mendiola-Martinez's saga and the countless other tales of woe that have resulted from the brutality of Arpaio's gendarmes.
"He's a sadistic man," said the multi-Grammy winner of Arpaio. "He doesn't have great respect for the law. I come from a police family. My brother was the chief of police in Tucson for many years, a real lawman . . . He was the one who made me understand that when the law is unevenly applied or badly applied, it weakens all law. That's what's very concerning about Sheriff Arpaio."
The onetime paramour of former California Governor Jerry Brown, a.k.a. "Governor Moonbeam," was explaining her promise to march alongside thousands of activists planning to converge on Phoenix on January 16 for a National Day of Action, which is to include a walk to Arpaio's jails and a rally and concert afterwards.
Dubbed the "Queen of Rock" in the '70s by Rolling Stone, Ronstadt said she was moved by Arpaio's abuses of power to participate in the demonstration, organized in large part by the California-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Phoenix civil rights activist Sal Reza's Puente Movement.
Ronstadt, who has a home in Tucson, where she lives part of the year, cited Arpaio's raids against the undocumented, his mistreatment of prisoners, and deaths in his jails as reasons for criticizing him. She also blasted Arpaio's police-state tactics against those who speak out against his iron rule.
"Any of us could be snatched off the street without a warrant because of the way Arpaio is applying the law," warned Ronstadt. "He's had people go and arrest Republicans [who] have opposed him . . . They have these trumped-up charges and then, later on, they go, 'Oh, well, I guess we weren't right about these charges.' By then, the damage is done."
The soulful songstress claims deep roots in southern Arizona. Her paternal grandfather, Fred Ronstadt, was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States during the 19th century to apprentice at wagon-making. The Ronstadt family name is German, she told me, and is indicative of the European settlers who migrated to Mexico and married locals.
Fred Ronstadt later owned a large, family-run hardware store in downtown Tucson that closed in the 1970s. Linda Ronstadt grew up eating tamales during Christmas and singing family songs in Spanish. She eventually recorded the songs for an album released in 1987 called Canciones De Mi Padre (Songs of My Father), a huge commercial success.
women and men are being murdered in border cities on the Mexican side,No outrage by mexican citizens living in this country. Instead they march on our streets and DEMAND rights that they think they deserve. She broke the law when she walked across the desert,who would have been blamed if she gave birth then? Hope she sues our state not because she was arrested but because ALL you illegal supporters deserve to pay. NOT A CHICANA,LATINA,MEXICAN I AM AMERICAN!
If men were pregnant and had to go through labor, there would be no question the shackling would be eliminated. But as long as the "good ole" boys out of the back-water era write the policies and laws, they will continue to do nothing. Read Arizona's history... it's shameful.. "Sunbelt Justice: Arizona and the Transformation of American Punishment" by Mona Lynch. If the DOC can eliminate shackling a DOC at the core of "punitive" NOT "restorative" punishment, then it's time the Maricopa County jail step update policies from the slavery era into the 21st Century.
Yes, but New York only just banned this practice which only proves my point further. If New York only just banned this practice with legislation last year this means that many other states are still practicing it as well. My point is that Arizona and the MCSO are not the only ones who practice the schackling of pregnant inmates. New Times obviously has a problem with Sheriff Joe, but I am going to call them on their shady reporting every time I get the opportunity. Who's Lisa?
Arizona is, by far, not the only state that has this policy in many detention facilities.
To date, 46 states have no legislation that restricts the shackling of pregnant women in prisons, jails, and detention centers, leaving the practice to the discretion of individual facilities. Illinois, California, Vermont, and New Mexico and New York prohibit it entirely.
Non-federal facilities are exempt from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons policy that, in October 2008, barred the shackling of pregnant women, "except in the most extreme circumstances." This policy is in alignment with the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which the U.S. ratified.
Shackling policies are especially pertinent given that women are the fastest growing demographic in U.S. prisons, according to the Women's Prison Association. As with the general prison population, most are serving sentences for nonviolent offenses.
Mommyhacker, or Lisa Allen, take your pick, did u even bother to read the article you posted? Read it sgsin snd note the time stamp. The NY Gov signed the bill. NY implemented a ban on shackling pregnant moms.
You said: "Arizona is not the only state that shackles pregnant inmates, New York does too."
WRONG!!!! NY did, no longer "does." As for Arizona, read Lemons' article, Arizona's Department of Corrections -- u know, the goddamn Arizona state prisons -- doesn't shackle pregnant moms.
The feds don't shackle pregnant moms. But the MCSO does. Whaat does that tell you? Some mom you are.
She's an illegal alien and should be deported. Quit with the pity party story, her and her anchor baby shouldn't be here in the first place.
Arizona is not the only state that shackles pregnant inmates, New York does too. Check it out:http://www.cleveland.com/natio...I am not saying that it is humane or that this particular woman deserved to be shackled, but I can see that in some instances it may be neccesary.New Times, you make Sheriff Arpaio sound like he is doing something totally out of the norm when he is not. Shame on you again.
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#9 - Mr. Johnson, Great comment. Humanity is something lacking in Arizona. Money means more than people. Once it's realized, those who can leave will. Those who are considering moving here will do the research and hopefully avoid Arizona. As long as thomas, arpaio, pearce, jd hayworth prevail -- then Arizona is doomed.
You want to stop illegal imigration JJ? Stop voting republican. Republicans had the house, senate, the white house and the supreme court. What did they do about illegal immigration? Absolutly nothing - becuase their campaign contributors rely on cheap labor.
You want to stop illegal immigration? Vote 3rd party, refuse to shop at shops that employ illegals. Acctually do something.
But its so much easier to sit at your desk as type angrily on a keyboard and pretend that the people you voted for are being thwatred in their efforts to do what you want - isnt it?
The dont care about you, they dont care about the illegals or abortion, they just use these issues to push you into voting on blind emotion rather than rational thought.
You want to stop illegal immigration? Stop paying your taxes, stop voting for the very people who keep them coming in, stop being reactionary.
They shackle a pregnant women whose only crime is trying to work yet they let Adrian Cruz a convicted child rapist serving a life sentence walk right out of court. What brave deputies Arpaio has mentored.
This whole ID Theft law is also bullshit. While we waste resources chasing pregnant working women we ignore credit card theft and internet fruad.
No matter what charge this woman was accused or convicted of, she deserves to be treated like a human being. That is what separates us from nations like Cambodia, Iran, and Afghanistan. If we as a nation are to regain our high moral ground, we must stop acting like savages.
"He's a sadistic man," said the multi-Grammy winner of Arpaio. "He doesn't have great respect for the law. I come from a police family. My brother was the chief of police in Tucson for many years, a real lawman . . . He was the one who made me understand that when the law is unevenly applied or badly applied, it weakens all law. That's what's very concerning about Sheriff Arpaio."-----------------Too bad Ms. Ronstadt doesn't believe that last sentence about the law being unevenly applied or badly applied. If she really believes that, then she should believe in the deportation of illegal aliens. To ignore their presence is to unevenly apply the law and to discriminate against legal immigrants. To let some off because of their ethnicity is to unevenly apply the law.
Yo, stupid montrose mike. I'm not using medicaid, medicare or SSI. I am a hard working American citizen. I pay taxes. I vote for every school override and anything to do with helping children further their education. I have children and want them to have the best education they can Do you live in AZ? Do you know what it's like to live here with all the illegals? If you want to take care of them then have at it. I'm sick of taking care of non-U.S. citizens. Get a life POS.
This is cruel and barbaric and just illustrates how back-water Arizona is to tolerate this cruelty to humanity. Women are not respected in Arizona. This could be your daughter, your sister, your niece -- all are at risk. Is Arizona proud of this treatment of women and newborn babies?
Thank you Linda for coming forward. We need your leadership and voice.
Hey JJ, How old are you? I am sick and tired of paying for your Social Security and medicare and medicaid. By the way all those times you did not have a job I want that money payed back to me. All those time you voted down a tax hike to support schools yeah I want that money too.
As long as your shruf id picking up pregnant mommies, you get to pay for them. Guess what dirt bag, because he kid was just born and you are older then it and will be on Social security longer then it will be - YOU ARE STEALING its SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS - MATTER OF FACT YOUR STEALING MY PAYMENTS - give me my money back and STOP stealing from little babies, My GOD you are an evil person, stealing from all these folks but especially from the babies...
Another thing. Who paid for this womans medical bills? I' sick of paying for every illegal to come into our state. They all need to go away. The U.S. citizens are getting ripped off by them every day. When will it ever stop?
Don't do the crime if you don't want to do the time. I don't feel sorry for the woman. She brought it upon herself.Go Sheriff Joe! You rock!
Somebody has to write for Montini Stephen, because the guy is a fucking joke as a reporter.
>>I've just written one of Montini's columns for him.
Typical lying bullshit from MacEnweasel.
>>Questioned by reporter Fernandez for her story on the shackling of expectant moms, MCSO apologist and Deputy Chief Jack MacIntyre cited the possibility that a woman might be "faking labor" and attempt escape.
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