Milwaukee County Jail Inmate Says Her Baby Died after Staff Ignored Labor

MILWAUKEE -- Four people have died in the Milwaukee County Jail since April, and an expectant mother is now seeking $8.5 million in damages after her child died while she was giving birth in the jail in July.

According to a Journal Sentinel report, a lawyer for Shadé Swayzer, 30, has filed a notice of claim against the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, alleging that jail staff are responsible for the death of her child.

Swayzer told a corrections officer her water broke and she was going into labor, but the officer laughed and ignored her. Her child was pronounced dead later that day. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says Swayzer never told jail staff she was going into labor, and that the baby was stillborn, according to the Journal Sentinel's report.

According to a Milwaukee County report, 17 of the 31 registered nurse positions, 7 of the 14 nurse practitioner positions and 9 of the 26 practical nurse positions were vacant upon a court-appointed inspection in May 2016.

Other Jail Deaths

• In April, a 38-year-old inmate, Terrill Thomas, died of profound dehydration while in the segregation unit of the jail after Thomas was reportedly denied water for an extended period of time.
• No details have been released after a 38-year-old woman, Kristina Fiebrink, was found dead in her cell in late August.
• In October, Michael J. Madden, 29, of Franklin died in the Milwaukee County Jail. Circumstances regarding Franklin's death have not been released to the public.

Journal Sentinel Takes Aim at Sheriff

A November 1 Journal Sentinel editorial has taken aim at Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who, according to the editorial, "has refused to discuss the issues and, as usual, has called the Journal Sentinel’s reporting, "biased, unfair and written more as editorials with an agenda, rather than informative news.'"

The Journal Sentinel issued an acerbic reprisal, taking issue with Clarke's rising profile among Donald Trump-friendly Republicans, "But maybe he’s been too busy jetting around the country on behalf of his idol Donald Trump to actually read the reporting or pay attention to what’s happening at his jail. He should pay closer attention."

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