HINDS COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Questions still surround security of inmates at the Hinds County courthouse after an inmate says she got pregnant while attending a preliminary hearing there.
Wednesday Hinds county Sheriff Tyrone Lewis said his investigation revealed the inmate had consensual sex with a male inmate in a jury room bathroom. The pregnant inmate said she was handcuffed and left unattended with at least eight male inmates by a court bailiff.
Sheriff Lewis said the bailiff's are hired by individual court judges and operate separately from his office, although they are paid out of his budget.
The female inmate has been identified as 23-year-old Gabrielle Deborah Jones. She was arrested by Jackson police May 23 and charged with receiving stolen goods, business burglary and violation of probation.
Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis confirmed Wednesday a county inmate conceived a child while in custody.
The alleged incident occurred in courtroom three, which is Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill's courtroom. Weill declined to talk about the matter on camera, but released a statement saying:
"Our office has recently been made aware that a female inmate has alleged she became pregnant after a consensual sexual encounter with another inmate in Courtroom Three's jury deliberation room, where they were very briefly detained, with other prisoners, while awaiting a hearing. Both inmates were shackled at the time. We are looking into this inmate's uncorroborated assertions concerning this matter."
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