A woman in custody at the Johnson County Jail says she gave birth in her cell after she was denied proper care by staff.
Victoria Boldon, 27, told KERA News during a phone call Saturday her baby was born early Wednesday morning after jailers refused to transport her to a hospital.
Boldon said she began experiencing contractions and felt herself going into labor around 9 p.m. Tuesday, which lasted about three hours. When she tried to tell jailers, Boldon said they refused to take her to the hospital and told her to count her contractions.
"I really knew my fate when my water broke because I just had to lay down on this...floor, in here, and I knew I was going to push this baby out," Boldon said.
When KERA News reached out to the jail and Johnson County's Sheriff's Office last week to confirm the in-custody birth, multiple officials said they could neither confirm nor deny anything due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — or HIPAA, a federal law protecting the privacy of patients’ health data.
KERA News followed up Monday with more questions upon confirming the birth with Boldon.
"Please be advised that the inmate may choose to share their personal information at their discretion," Lt. Keven George said in an email to KERA News. "However, in accordance with our policies and applicable regulations and laws, the Sheriff's Office is prohibited from releasing any medical records or inmate-related information without a written release of records on file, signed by the inmate."
KERA News also asked about Boldon’s claims jail staff did not assist when she complained of contractions, and if true, whether the jailers could face any disciplinary action.
This is at least the second baby born in Johnson County Jail since 2018, when a detainee reportedly concealed her labor pains before giving birth inside the jail. The baby did not survive the birth.
KERA News asked whether there have been other instances of people giving birth in the jail, and what protocols if any are in place when an inmate is pregnant or about to give birth.
This story will be updated with any responses.
There were several jail staff in Bolden’s cell by the time her water broke, including two medical staff, she said, and her baby came out in two pushes.
KERA News also spoke to multiple people inside the jail about the birth. According to one inmate who said they witnessed the incident and asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, Boldon began groaning around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, and around 12:10 a.m., they said they heard Boldon screaming in pain and doing breathing exercises with a guard. A nurse earlier allegedly told Boldon what she was experiencing, "aren't contractions," the witness said.
About 20 minutes later, a jailer told Boldon an ambulance was on the way, according to the witness. The witness added they later heard someone yell at Boldon, "that's not our fault."
The witness said they heard a baby cry a few minutes later, and other women in surrounding cells yelled, "we got a baby!"
About 12:40 a.m., the witness said Bolden was still asking for medical help and for her baby. Staff then loaded Boldon onto a rolling stretcher bed and transported her out of the jail, the witness said.
By the time an ambulance arrived, Boldon said she had already fainted from losing about a liter of blood and had to get a transfusion.
"I just didn't want to die here, I didn't wanna die in this cell," Boldon said. "I'm screaming to everybody, I don't wanna die in the cell... and I just wanted my baby to be okay. And I felt bad for people who had to clean up the cell, and they put me back in the [same] cell, but it was just a traumatic ordeal."
She said was discharged two days later, but her baby is in a neonatal intensive care unit due to fluid entering his lungs during birth. And, because the baby was born at the jail, Boldon said the hospital could not give her a birth certificate.
Boldon claims to have asked for medical assistance for two days prior to giving birth, but was denied until the day of. She was taken to a doctor, whom she said only performed an ultrasound before sending her back to the jail. That's when things took a turn for the worse, Boldon said, and the contractions began shortly after.
Boldon was serving 30 days in jail for failure to complete community service as part of her conditions on a previous charge. She was sentenced to five years probation in 2021 for possession of a controlled substance less than four grams and possession of a controlled substance less than one gram, according to court records. Jail records show she turned herself in Aug. 11.
She said she was initially worried going in due to how far along she was in her pregnancy, along with issues she's experienced when giving birth in the past.
"I just want to go home at this point," Boldon said. "I feel like it's all cruel and unusual punishment just because I didn't do my community service. I had to go through the embarrassment of having an officer there with me at the hospital. I had go through embarrassment of all of this stuff, and just getting treated like dog s--- basically."
Penelope Rivera is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
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