The jail in Fulton County, Georgia's largest county, exposes its inmates to “substantial risk of serious harm from violence” and violates their constitutional and statutory rights, according to a new lawsuit. Justice Department report Released on Thursday.
After a civil rights investigation that lasted more than a year Fulton County Jail — which has long been plagued by overcrowding, understaffing and violence — federal investigators concluded that detainees faced “dangerous and unsanitary” conditions such as insect infestations and malnutrition. The report found that these conditions particularly put people with mental health problems at risk.
“None of these problems are new,” the report said. “And despite widespread awareness of these issues, unconstitutional and illegal conditions persist.”
The Justice Department launched its civil investigation into the Fulton County jail in July 2023, after at least four black inmates died in the mental health unit within a matter of weeks, two of whom were killed by their cellmates. “Within weeks of our investigation beginning, six more black men were identified dead In prison,” the Justice Department revealed. The family of one inmate, LaShawn Johnson, said he died in prison in 2022.eaten alive“By insects and bedbugs. According to the report, approximately 91% of the total prison population is black, while 45% of the total population of Fulton County is black.
Justice Department investigators conducted numerous site visits, expert consultations, and interviews with prisoners and staff.
Crumbling infrastructure, failing security, abusive staff, and inadequate medical and mental health treatment contributed to the overall unsanitary conditions described in the report.
According to the county sheriff, 62% of the jail's inmates suffer from mental health or substance abuse disorders and staff failed to provide appropriate treatment or take steps to reduce suicide risks.
“We found that 75% of those who died in prison since January 2021 had a current mental health diagnosis or reported a history of mental illness,” the report said.
Justice Department investigators noted in their findings that Fulton County and the sheriff sought to address some of the issues, including increasing emergency funding by millions and sending some inmates to detention facilities in other districts.
Yet problems persisted. In 2024, three people have died at Fulton County's main jail, including a man who was stabbed 20 times in April. According to the report, from 2022 to the present, “six incarcerated people have died in violent attacks.” The Justice Department said all six victims were black men.
Non-fatal violent assaults also occur extensively inside prisons. The sheriff's office said there were 1,054 assaults and more than 300 stabbings at the jail in 2023. According to the report, the investigation also revealed a pattern or practice of sexual abuse.
Announcing the report's findings, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said Fulton County officials have taken “initial steps” to address the issues outlined in the report, but that such measures “are not sufficient.” ”
The Justice Department report outlines various remedial measures the prison should take to improve conditions, such as increased accountability measures for staff, how the prison keeps its facilities safe from violence and trafficking, and appropriate suicides. Ensuring prevention measures.
“At the end of the day, people don't give up their civil and constitutional rights at the prison door,” Clark said. He later said, “We can fix these problems.”
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Justice Department officials said Thursday that the sheriff has cooperated with the investigation.