Georgia Kay Baldwin was booked into Tarrant County Jail in Austin, Texas, on April 27, 2021. She was pronounced dead at age 52 after being transferred to a nearby hospital on 9/14/2021. Her cause of death is unknown, and the results of an autopsy are pending.

Natural causes and suicide are the two leading causes of death in county jails in Texas and throughout the nation. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) is responsible for providing the guidelines for the operation of the state’s county jails. Oversight is provided through annual jail inspections. TCJS follows up and provides assistance when appropriate to keep jails up to code.

There are more complaints about medical care for inmates than any other topic, according to TCJS. Based on outcomes of jail inspections, tracking the efficacy of medical care in jails is likely not being accomplished. Actions potentially contributing to suicides, on the other hand, are often cited in jail inspection reports when the jails are non-compliant with minimum jail standards.

TCJS recently released a jail inspection report from a Texas county jail dated May 21, 2021, and it shows a discrepancy in suicide training. Training for suicide prevention is a vital aspect of providing adequate care for inmates. Research clearly shows that all inmates, at some level, are vulnerable to potentially becoming suicidal.

Learn more in this continuing series.

It is not intended to make allegations of wrongdoing, whether on the part of an individual or an entity. Each of this website’s posts is added as a potentially helpful resource to benefit prisoners detained in Texas county jails, whether now or previously incarcerated.

–Guest Contributor