Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

State officials mum on reforms at York following prison birth report

  • Justice
  • by Kelan Lyons and Jenna Carlesso
  • December 10, 2019
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

An investigator found that prison staff failed to respond appropriately when 19-year-old Tianna Laboy reported labor symptoms at York Correctional Institution in 2018. She gave birth in her prison cell a few days later.

More than a year after a Department of Correction investigator concluded that a series of missteps led to a teenager giving birth behind bars – and days after her report was made public – neither the DOC nor the governor’s office would say whether the state had implemented reforms to prevent the situation from happening again.

“Unfortunately, we cannot comment about the specifics of the case as it is the subject of ongoing litigation,” Karen Martucci, a spokeswoman for the DOC, said Monday. “However, the Department of Correction takes the wellbeing of all those under its supervision very seriously, and is committed to continually providing the best health care possible.”

A federal judge on Friday ordered a 2018 report by DOC investigator Jennifer Benjamin to be unsealed. The document was part of internal investigation into the February 2018 birth of a baby at York Correctional Institution in Niantic.

According to the report, 19-year-old Tianna Laboy repeatedly told prison staff she had stomach pains in the days before she delivered her baby on Feb. 13, 2018, visiting the infirmary three times. Medical workers did not assess her for preterm labor, tell a doctor about her symptoms or send her to an emergency room, according to Benjamin’s report. Instead, they sent her back to her cell with ice water and a hot rag.

Six days after her first visit to the prison infirmary, Laboy delivered her child in a prison cell toilet. A correction officer found her standing over a pool of blood holding a crying infant. The baby was born about a month premature.

Jenna Carlesso :: CT Mirror

A photo of LaBoy’s child, Naveah, sits atop a bible at her mother Karine Laboy’s New Britain home.

Among Benjamin’s findings were revelations that there was no on-call OBGYN doctor at York, there was no policy requiring nurses and other medical staff to be trained in labor and delivery, and DOC employees did not adhere to best practices for staffing, meaning they did not adequately staff certain shifts.

In preparing her assessment, Benjamin reviewed records and departmental policies, interviewed numerous staff members, and viewed video footage from inside the prison.

Benjamin made several recommendations to help ensure the issues don’t happen again. They include training staff at York Correctional Institution on how to treat inmates in labor and recognize when they are about to give birth preterm; reviewing allocation of staff to ensure four nurses are scheduled for evening shifts; and assessing whether DOC should seek on-call OBGYN services.

Laboy and her mother are suing prison workers, former Correction Commissioner Scott Semple and UConn Health – which until last July was managing inmate health care across Connecticut – alleging denial and delay in care. The contract between DOC and UConn Health was severed amid a flurry of lawsuits and complaints about the quality of medical services in the prisons.

Martucci did not comment Friday when asked about Benjamin’s findings and recommendations. On Monday, she said she still had not read the recommendations and could not discuss the report because of the Laboy’s lawsuit.

“When you hear something like this, you would hope that the parties involved would take prompt corrective action.”

Rep. Jonathan Steinberg

Benjamin’s review was completed in July 2018 and circulated among department officials. It was made public on Friday morning.

The CT Mirror sought a copy of the report earlier this year under a Freedom of Information request, but was denied by the DOC, which claimed the document was in “draft form” and part of an ongoing investigation. Shortly after, lawyers for Laboy filed a motion in court to lift the seal on the report. A judge sided with the lawyers and ordered it released.

“As part of his deep personal and professional beliefs that respect for human dignity is a primary consideration for every policy and action, Commissioner Rollin Cook is steadfastly committed to continually raising the standards by which incarcerated individuals are treated,” Martucci said, declining to elaborate.

Max Reiss, a spokesman for Gov. Ned Lamont, did not address questions about what, if anything, the governor had done to ensure the department took corrective action. Instead, he referred questions to the DOC.

“We’re deferring to our agency,” Reiss said Monday.

DeVaughn Ward, one of Laboy’s lawyers, called on Lamont to get involved.

“Governor Lamont needs to really get a handle on this issue. At the end of the day, the DOC is his administrative agency … and the state needs his leadership on this issue,” Ward said. “I hope that they do find some time to read the report.”

“Governor Lamont needs to really get a handle on this issue. At the end of the day, the DOC is his administrative agency … and the state needs his leadership on this issue. I hope that they do find some time to read the report.”

Hartford Attorney DeVaughn Ward

Lawmakers said that if the DOC fails to act, reforms in the state’s prison system could be addressed through legislation next year.

“When you hear something like this, you would hope that the parties involved would take prompt corrective action,” said Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, a co-chairman of the legislature’s public health committee. “If we find that that’s not being appropriately addressed by the time the session starts, we’ll look at it.”

“This is not the first time we’ve heard about suboptimal health care in the prison system,” he added. “It sounds like at the very least, not having an OBGYN on call and not having people trained up is something that really has to be addressed.”

With other pregnant women in prison, lawmakers said the need for reform isn’t going away. There were 12 pregnant inmates as of March, according to an appropriations subcommittee report. There were 22 births between July 18, 2018 and March 29, 2019.

“Under no circumstance should anybody be giving birth in a prison cell,” said Rep. Steven Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, House chair of the Joint Committee on Judiciary. “We need to do a better job.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelan Lyons is a Report For America Corps Member who covers the intersection of mental health and criminal justice for CT Mirror. Before joining CT Mirror, Kelan was a staff writer for City Weekly, an alt weekly in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a courts reporter for The Bryan-College Station Eagle, in Texas. He is originally from Philadelphia.

Jenna Carlesso is CT Mirror’s Health Reporter, focusing on health access, affordability, quality, equity and disparities, social determinants of health, health system planning, infrastructure, processes, information systems, and other health policy. Before joining CT Mirror Jenna was a reporter at The Hartford Courant for 10 years, where she consistently won statewide and regional awards. Jenna has a Master of Science degree in Interactive Media from Quinnipiac University and a Bachelor or Arts degree in Journalism from Grand Valley State University.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
What we’ve lost, what we’ve learned during our year of COVID
by CT Mirror Staff

On March 6, 2020, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the first case of COVID-19 had been detected in Connecticut, and within weeks, life as we knew it was a memory. Schools were shut down, universities emptied, businesses shuttered. Those of us who were fortunate enough to be able to work from home set up shop at our […]

Few tenants facing eviction have an attorney. Top lawmakers are poised to change that.
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

Legislation that would provide tenants facing eviction the "right to counsel" is a top priority for legislative leaders.

Equity issues dominate hearing on Lamont’s marijuana bill
by Kelan Lyons and Mark Pazniokas

The administration's testimony took up the hearing's first five hours. More than 130 people are signed up to speak.

Three weeks into COVID-19 vaccinations, DOC has vaccinated 10% of inmates, 40% of staff
by Kelan Lyons

Fewer than 850 incarcerated people had been vaccinated as of Feb. 22.

Judiciary Committee hears testimony on changes to last summer’s police accountably bill
by Kelan Lyons

One police chief said they need more time to train officers on new use-of-force rules.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Assisted suicide lobby spreads falsehoods to promote systemic ableism
by Stephen Mendelsohn

Proponents of assisted suicide repeatedly spread falsehoods to promote their lethal and ableist agenda.  The February 8 op-ed, “Aid in dying is not assisted suicide” is no exception. Suicide is defined as the act of taking one’s life intentionally.  The person who intentionally ingests a prescribed lethal overdose more closely fits the dictionary definition of suicide than the despondent person who jumps off a bridge.  The desire for suicide is a cry for help, even when redefined as a “medical treatment option.”

Opinion TCI will create a fourth gasoline tax
by Christian A. Herb

The Transportation Climate Initiative, or TCI, calls for a proposed emissions fee on gasoline to help battle climate change. On the surface, supporters say it is a small price to pay to help save the planet; and if you truly believe that this is the case, then you should consider voting for it. Despite the administration’s efforts to go out of their way to not call TCI a tax, the simple truth is that it will only create additional financial hardships on lower- and middle-income families struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic.

Opinion Let’s keep telehealth when the pandemic ends
by Steven Madonick, MD

Telehealth may lead to positive, even transformational changes in psychiatric care, and Connecticut needs to keep it after the pandemic. Connecticut needs to pass the necessary laws to continue telehealth and telephonic care.

Opinion The public health bill no one is talking about, but should be
by Brian Festa

On February 16,  the legislature's Public Health Committee conducted a public hearing on two bills, S.B. 568 and H.B. 6423, both of which would eliminate the religious exemption to mandatory vaccinations for Connecticut schoolchildren.  The hearing was capped at 24 hours, depriving nearly 1,500 members of the public who had registered for the hearing their opportunity to be heard.  The vast majority of those who did testify, and who submitted written testimony, opposed the bill.  The committee is expected to vote on the bill as early as  today. 

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO