A female inmate at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut, gave birth in her cell Tuesday morning and the state Department of Correction is conducting an internal investigation.
As soon as the Department of Correction discovered the baby, the new mother and her child were treated onsite and immediately transported to an area hospital for further evaluation, state officials said.
The mother and child are reported to be in good health.
The state Department of Correction is investigating circumstances that led up to a baby being born inside a cell but said the preliminary findings have led to two UConn Health, Correctional Managed Health Care employees being told not to report to the facility for work until the investigation is completed.
State officials said their employment status is “predicated by the administration of UCONN Health, Correctional Managed Health Care” and the Department of Correction contracts with UConn Health for inmate medical services.
State officials said pregnant women at the York facility are routinely provided with prenatal care and it is standard policy that they be transported to an outside hospital when they are in labor.
“Although the details of this incident are still unfolding, I cannot overstate how seriously this agency takes the health and wellbeing of the offender population,” Department of Correction Commissioner Scott Semple said in a statement. “The goal of health services within a correctional environment should always strive to meet the community standard of care.”
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Officials have not released the woman’s name because of laws covering health-related information.
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