A group of sheriffs in Florida is making the rounds on social media for throwing a baby shower for an inmate and her newborn. Going to jail isn’t exactly a positive thing at any point in one’s life, but getting arrested when you’re nearing a major milestone, like giving birth, has got to be particularly hard. You don’t have your normal village around you, and you’re depending on strangers for help.
It would be easy to assume that the police force doesn’t hold a lot of hope for the people they arrest and oversee in jail, given what they see on the job every day, but that’s actually not true. A group of sheriffs in Flagler County, Florida, exemplified this.
Parties are not something that you think of happening often in jail, but a group of officers made sure a pregnant inmate was celebrated just like any other mom-to-be would be. In a post on the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, the department shared how one pregnant woman was reminded just how special the change she was going through was, despite her circumstances.
According to the post, the woman, identified as Taylor, is incarcerated at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Center. Deputies arrested her in August, when she was six months pregnant. A judge sentenced her to spend time in the jail’s SMART Program. A news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office explained that the SMART program, created by Sheriff Rick Staly, stands for Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment.
“Prior to the birth, deputies and the SMART team threw her a surprise baby shower!” the department shared on Facebook. “Master Detention Deputy Justine Crego and Deputy Danielle Boyer went all out by purchasing gifts with their own money … This is an excellent example of the effort and dedication our team puts into [changing] inmates’ lives.”
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The Facebook post reported that Taylor gave birth on December 11. Both she and the baby, Kingston Ryder, are doing well. Until Taylor is released and enters outpatient treatment, Kingston will be cared for by a family from Vermont.
The post included photos of Taylor proudly holding up Kingston from her hospital bed. One picture even featured a deputy smiling next to Taylor while holding Kingston himself. It’s clear that she has a good relationship with these officers.
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Abby Bertelsen, who said she is a prison officer herself, wrote about the challenges of the job and the role that the connection between officers and inmates plays for Penal Reform International. She noted that societal perceptions of officers make the role difficult because “negative stereotypes are often associated with the role.” She also called it “draining” to have to constantly be hyperaware of your surroundings and be on alert for any security issues.
However, she also argued that hiring good prison officers who have a good rapport with inmates is essential. “Positive relations between people in prison and prison officers are crucial in encouraging pro-social behavior, fostering an environment of respect, and generally creating safer conditions for the public, staff, and people detained in prisons,” she said. “Investing in prison officers means investing in the human rights of people in prison.”
It’s not uncommon to think of inmates and officers having a negative relationship, and, in some cases, that is no doubt true. But it doesn’t have to be the standard. Just as these Florida officers showed kindness and compassion to Taylor during a time when she really needed it, officers can not only supervise inmates but also support them as they face highs and lows themselves.
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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
