FORT WORTH
An inmate at the Tarrant County Jail gave birth on May 17 without anyone knowing, according to officials.
The woman didn’t “immediately disclose the birth, but the baby was soon discovered by a corrections officer,” Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jennifer Gabbert said in an email on Wednesday.
The baby was taken to Cook Children’s Hospital. The woman has been jailed since her January arrest. She is charged with assault on a family member, Gabbert said.
Gabbert didn’t release any more details on how the woman gave birth without anyone noticing. She didn’t immediately respond to a series of questions from the Star-Telegram.
Gabbert said there is “no indication of misconduct at this time” by jailers, but said an investigation is ongoing.
Brandon Wood, executive director at the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, said the state is investigating an incident that occurred on or around May 18. He declined to say if the investigation was about the birth.
This follows another investigation into the jail by the state following an inmate’s suicide in April. The jail lost its state certification on May 21 and it was reinstated on Wednesday.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 4:06 PM.
