Tragedy struck at the DeKalb County Jail following the death of Christon Collins, a 27-year-old U.S. Army veteran who was found unresponsive after reportedly lying on the jail floor for several hours. Collins’ mother, Jonia Milburn, spoke out at a press conference in Decatur, expressing anguish over the handling of her son’s PTSD-related episode that led to his arrest, as reported by WABE.
Milburn recounted that prior to the fatal incident, her son had encounters with the law and had been hospitalized—situations that highlight the systemic difficulties faced by veterans with mental health issues. At the time of his fall in the jail’s common area, Collins was awaiting transfer for involuntary treatment per a 1013 Request Form signed by a doctor, which mandates a 24-hour response time. Yet, the Sheriff’s office claimed they were unable to move him to a medical facility.
“My son laid on the floor for three hours with no care,” Milburn stated, describing the apparent negligence by the jail authorities. “Nobody acknowledged it — no guards, no supervisors, no one other than the inmates,” according to WABE. The DeKalthe County Sheriff’s Office is now under excessive scrutiny as questions regarding the treatment of inmates with severe mental health issues are brought to the forefront.
Collins’ passing calls attention to the uphill battle for appropriate care veterans often face, especially when intersecting with the criminal justice system, a system that holds the responsibility for safety and welfare, but often finds itself ill-equipped or unwilling to navigate the complexities of mental illness. Milburn’s grievance with the DeKalb County Jail highlights not just a personal tragedy, but a wider gap in accessibility to mental health care for those caught in similar bureaucratic limbo.
As this distressing story unfolds, there are calls from community leaders and advocates for an overhaul of policies governing the handling of justice-involved individuals with mental health conditions, in hopes that future incidents like Collins’ can be prevented. Discussions about the necessity of reform, are expected to intensify in the wake of this incident, underscoring the imperative for change in how the justice system interacts with mental health care in America.
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