Three former prison inmates at Baldwin State Prison were recently found not guilty for the stabbing and murder of a fellow inmate in June of 2021.
Tyquerion Steed, Kevonta Daniels and Tarez Gordon were sent to trial this year to determine if they were guilty of the malice murder of Jose Garcia Ibarra. Despite surveillance footage hinting that the three inmates were involved, a lack of conclusive evidence was the verdict.
The case has been left unresolved as the court does not have enough evidence to charge any one person.
Questions about safety at GCSU have been prevalent as the Baldwin State Prison, where the stabbing occurred, is just seven miles away from campus. Students at GCSU have been seemingly unaware of this circumstance that has happened just down the street from campus.
“A lot of stuff happens here [Milledgeville] that students don’t even know about. I didn’t even know about this,” said Rory McInnis, a senior political science major. “I saw an article the other day about a man who shot at somebody and then himself. My roommates didn’t even know about it.”
McInnis expressed that she was unaware of this trial until now. She attributed this lack of awareness in students to a high-profile case that is also not well-informed.
GCSU students are uninformed, causing a disconnect between their community and the surrounding area. With that being said, there is a broader uncertainty regarding safety in the area.
According to a report by the Southern Center for Human Rights, “Insufficient supervision of prisoners has been a serious problem at Baldwin for years. Groups of prisoner-assailants have regularly seized, tied up, beaten and tortured other men, holding them for extended periods, without being discovered by correctional officers.”
Baldwin State Prison is recognized as one of Georgia’s most violent prisons. It is even recognized as one of the most dangerous facilities in the state of Georgia. Though there is a significant amount of violence, this does not automatically mean the vicinity of the prison is a threat to the surrounding areas.
“I don’t think the college is necessarily in danger of being in close proximity [to Baldwin State Prison],” said Professor Cook, a professor of criminal justice. “I would say any sort of escapee is going to run. You don’t necessarily see any escapees trying to find someone to hold hostage, for example.”
Professor Cook explains that student safety on campus is not a concern in relation to this circumstance. She reasons that escaped prisoners, for example, are not interested in harming students; their incentive is to run away.
Some students gave the trial no second thought and feel as though public safety has created a safe haven on campus for them.
“I do feel safe here at GCSU with all of the safety patrol and lots of police. I don’t ever feel unsafe,” said Madi Morton-Leach, a junior psychology major.
Morton-Leach feels that public safety has made enough efforts for her to feel secure in her college town, despite the 4.3 miles between Baldwin State Prison and GCSU.
Student safety on campus is not immediately compromised by circumstances taking place at Baldwin State Prison or any surrounding detention facilities. Public safety has made significant efforts to create a space for students to go about their everyday lives at ease.
Even this week, Campus Safety Week is taking place at GCSU, and students can join one of the seven live webinars to ask questions that they have. These events are available so students can stay up to date on their safety resources and stay far from harm. If you have any questions on how to use your safety resources, call GCSU Public Safety at (478) 445-4054.