Chicago Tribune – March 01 2026 – Chicago Tribune (1)

30 after an interview about a lawsuit filed on her behalf against the Illinois Department of Corrections, in East Alton, Ill. Hicks said she was forced to undergo an induced childbirth at a medical facility while incarcerated for a nonviolent drug offense at Logan Correctional Center in 2024. John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune By Jeremy Gorner Chicago Tribune EAST ALTON, Ill. — She arrived at X House resigned to delivering her baby while incarcerated. Amy Hicks was 7 ½ months pregnant and convicted of an illegal drug offense that would keep her behind bars for months to come.

Still, as Hicks waited inside that transitional cellblock of the Logan Correctional Center women’s prison, she thought she’d give birth to her daughter when she was ready to be born. She quickly learned it wouldn’t go as she planned. Other inmates warned Hicks that the prison would force her delivery through an induction of labor, a procedure typically reserved for medical necessities, none of which applied to her, she said. She heard the same from a correctional officer, who claimed the process was part of prison policy, and from a prison psychiatrist.

Depressed and worried, she filed grievances objecting to what she believed would be a forced medical intervention. But two weeks before her due date, in early 2024, Hicks underwent the induction. Now two years later, she describes the experience as painful, physically violating and traumatic. “That was my right that got stripped away from me when I should have been able to have, you know, this baby whenever she felt like coming,” said Hicks, an East Alton resident who is now 40 and a mother of four.

Hicks’ account forms the basis of a federal lawsuit against Gov. JB Pritzker’s Illinois Department of Corrections, the prison’s medical provider, Wexford Health Sources, and others.

Amy Hicks was 7 ½ months pregnant and convicted of an ille- gal drug offense that would keep herbehindbarsformonthstocome. Still, as Hicks waited inside that transitional cellblock of the Logan Correctional Center women’s prison,shethoughtshe’dgivebirth toherdaughterwhenshewasready tobeborn. She quickly learned it wouldn’t goassheplanned. OtherinmateswarnedHicksthat the prison would force her deliv- ery through an induction of labor, a procedure typically reserved for medicalnecessities,noneofwhich applied to her, she said. She heard thesamefromacorrectionalofficer, who claimed the process was part of prison policy, and from a prison psychiatrist.

Depressedandworried,shefiled grievances objecting to what she believedwouldbeaforcedmedical intervention.Buttwoweeksbefore her due date, in early 2024, Hicks underwenttheinduction. Now two years later, she describestheexperienceaspainful, physicallyviolatingandtraumatic. “That was my right that got stripped away from me when I Ex-inmate sues over induction of labor Woman’s lawsuit tests Pritzker on reproductive rights By Christiana Freitag CHICAGO TRIBUNE WHEATFIELD, Ind.

— Surrounded by farmland and wetlands, three generations of the Hunter family have grown crops and raised cattle, chickens and horses in this quiet corner of northwestIndiana. WhentheHuntersfirststarted farmingthe20-acreplot“thiswas theirdreamproperty,”saidgrand- daughterCarlySchroeder. But in recent decades, those fields have sat in the shadow of a massive coal-fired power plant less than a mile away. Over the years, heavy metals have leached intothefarm’ssoilandgroundwa- ter,Schroedersaid. An Army veteran, Schroeder returnedhomefromactivedutya yearago,hopingtoputdownroots nearhergrandmother’sfarm.She believedthetimingwasright:The R.M.SchahferGeneratingStation was expected to retire its coal operationsinDecember.

Instead, President Donald Trump’s U.S. Department of EnergyorderedSchahfertokeep operating until at least March, citing concerns about electricity gridreliability. Now Wheatfield residents are preparingforanotherunwelcome industrialneighbor.Adatacenter is planned just 300 feet from the Hunter farm and next to the powerplant. Based on repeated extensions at a half dozen other coal plants across the country, Earthjustice seniorcounselSameerDoshisaid heexpectsSchahfertogetanother 90-dayextensionaftertheMarch deadline expires.

Earthjustice, a nonprofitenvironmentallawfirm, has partnered with other groups ‘Caught in the crosshairs’ As Indiana extends coal and builds data centers, Illinois may be on hook for neighbor’s AI boom Carly Schroeder stands outside the Schahfer Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant, and next to the site of a planned data center near her family farm on Feb. 9 in Wheatfield, Indiana. BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE By Gregory Royal Pratt CHICAGO TRIBUNE There is a statuette of a chee- tah in Antonio Romanucci’s law officeinaskyscraperoverlooking the Chicago River. It sits next to a magazine cover of Romanucci, Chicago Lawyer’s “2021 Person oftheYear.”

Thecheetahissleekandblack. And, as the 65-year-old attorney explains, it represents a story he oftenrecitestojuriesincivilrights cases after police car chases turn deadly. Jurorsweighingresponsibility wanttoknow:Whyisitthepolice officer’s fault if a fleeing suspect crashes into an innocent third party? Romanucci knows it’s a fair question, and he turns to nature forananswer.Ifthecheetahwants to eat, it must run faster than the gazelle.Ifthegazellewantstolive, itmustoutrunthecheetah.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

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• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 65,678,042 bytes (62.635 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 2693855888, 3127889887, 8476751990
• Pages: 160
• Language: English (en)

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