Lawsuit in pregnant Missouri inmate's treatment settled

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A settlement has been reached in a former Jackson County inmate's lawsuit accusing county employees of cruel and unusual punishment for shackling her while pregnant and transporting her to another prison on the day she gave birth.

The Kansas City Star reported the American Civil Liberties Union helped Megon Riedel file the federal lawsuit. The ACLU said Tuesday the settlement includes $50,000 in damages and written policies regarding the use of restraints for pregnant inmates.

Riedel said she was 39 weeks pregnant in 2012 when she was handcuffed, shackled and driven for more than three hours from the Jackson County Detention Center to a state prison in Vandalia.

Riedel said she was examined by a doctor when she arrived at the prison and then sent to a nearby hospital, where she delivered a boy that day.

Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com