Dozens of women describe pregnancy horrors in jail: Traumatic births, dangerous conditions for baby

Dozens of jailed pregnant women are miscarrying or giving birth in excruciating pain into cell toilets and on filthy jail floors. These are their stories.

This article was published in partnership with Bloomberg Law.

Dozens of pregnant women who are jailed, often for petty crimes, are miscarrying or giving birth in excruciating pain into cell toilets and on filthy jail floors. Their babies are suffering infections and long-lasting health issues. Some die.

Bloomberg Law and NBC News analyzed federal lawsuits and found at least 54 pregnant women or their families alleged severe mistreatment or medical neglect in county jails from 2017 to 2024. The catastrophes they describe signal a much larger problem, since filing a federal lawsuit is difficult, experts said.

Most of the women in these cases were arrested on nonviolent charges that included probation violations, theft and drug possession. They were housed in jails, largely intended for short-term detention as criminal cases unfold, not prisons, which are for punishment after convictions.

Here is a look at their cases: