A former inmate and 30-year-old woman, identified only as Jane Doe, alleges in a troubling federal complaint that Middlesex County sheriff's deputies and county jail officers illegally shackled her to her hospital bed while she was in labor at St. Peter's Hospital in New Brunswick.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges officers shackled her ankle to her hospital bed while she was in labor — even while she experienced painful contractions. The restraint kept her from turning on her side or moving around to relieve her pain. The suit says officers refused to remove the restraints when nurses questioned their need and remained in the room while doctors performed invasive medical procedures.

The complaint alleges she continued to be restrained while recovering from an emergency C-section and was not allowed to walk the hallways, which helps the healing process. 

The woman was in jail on a probation violation in 2018 after a substance abuse relapse when the alleged incident occurred. Restraining pregnant inmates was banned in New Jersey in 2017 unless the person poses a danger to themselves or others, or is a flight risk.

The county, the Middlesex County Department of Corrections and the Sheriff's Office did not return requests seeking comment.