By Nichole Manna
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office said late Saturday night that the state investigation into an inmate who gave birth inside of her jail cell last month was completed and no wrongdoing was found.
The inmate, who has been jailed since January, gave birth May 17. Corrections officers found the baby soon after the birth, and both mother and child were taken to local hospitals. The mother was later taken back to the jail.
She is being held without bond on a charge of assault on a family member and injury to a child/elder/disabled person.
The sheriff’s office has not provided an update on the child’s condition.
When the woman was initially booked into the jail, medical staff noted that she was “mentally delayed and she was referred to mental health,” according to a statement that was released at 11 p.m. Saturday.
The woman was prescribed prenatal vitamins, placed on a pregnancy diet and provided a second mattress and blanket.
“She was seen by mental health professionals several times during her incarceration and was housed in protective custody in the infirmary,” according to the release.
The woman was seen by an OBGYN six times between February and May. On May 13, the doctor planned to schedule an induced labor between 39 and 40 weeks because the inmate was unable to express symptoms and might not recognize if she went into labor, according to the release.
The state investigation determined that every 30-minute check leading up to the birth had been conducted properly, according to the release.
The baby was found when the nurse and correctional officer who were assigned to the infirmary walked inside the cell to check on the inmate. When she didn’t respond, her blanket was removed and the baby was found. The woman remained non-verbal, according to the release.
The department first released information about the birth about 10 days after the event, following a series of questions from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The jail was also investigated by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards in April following an inmate’s suicide. It’s routine for the state to investigate any in-custody death, officials said. That investigation found that in the 24 hours leading up to the death, jailers were late to three checks. That investigation led to the jail losing its state certification for six days.
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