A Clayton County inmate whose baby died after she delivered it in her cell Saturday, said she didn't receive proper treatment from jail personnel, denying claims from the sheriff who said his staff followed procedures properly in responding to the inmate.
Deshawn Balka, 25, who left the jail Monday, told Channel 2 Action News that all week long she asked to be placed in the infirmary or to see a doctor but she said that didn't happen. Balka, who was five-months pregnant, told Channel 2 she began cramping in her cell Saturday. She said she went to the bathroom and she said that's when she had the baby in the toilet. She said it took jail staff 10 to 15 minutes to come to her aid.
Sheriff Kem Kimbrough said Monday that his office had investigated the incident because of the "unusual nature of the circumstances" and found that jail personnel had followed proper procedures. He told Channel 2 that the inmate did receive medical attention before the birth.
"My records show that she saw a physician two days before this incident," Kimbrough said. He said Balka was in the infirmary, but was well enough to go back to general population.
He said Monday that Balka had not filed any type of complaint about the incident to his office.
Deshawn Balka was in jail on a probation violation after being arrested on a marijuana possession charge last year. She went to court Monday morning and was released back to probation, according to Channel 2.
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