Amy Pollock had been arrested July 19, and was transferred to the workhouse six days later. She had been there since.

Kristy Pollock said her sister was delusional and taking medication for mental health issues. Amy Pollock had come to Pennsylvania to live with Kristy Pollock in June because Pennsylvania had better mental health care than Tennessee, Kristy said. However, Amy took off for California, apparently to visit her teenage son, by train and bus. The family figures that is how she ended up in St. Louis.

Carson said Amy Pollock was in general population, which means she was seen by corrections staff several times a day, including when she went out for recreation, when she ate outside of her cell and when she was counted three times a day. She was alone in her own cell, as are all female inmates. Currently, the workhouse has 824 inmates, 97 of whom are women. Fewer than five inmates are on some kind of “watch” status, which includes those who are deemed dangerous to themselves or others.

The staff is trained in what to look for in inmates who might be suicidal, Carson said, and they saw no warning signs in Amy Pollock. In her cell, they found a letter she was writing to a relative, but Carson said it was not a suicide note and didn’t mention of her plans to kill herself.