July 18th 2023.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the conditions of Fulton County Jail in Georgia. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke has announced that the investigation will be comprehensive and look into living conditions, access to medical care and mental health care, use of excessive force by staff, and any conditions that may lead to violence amongst prisoners.
Clarke further stated that since 87% of the prison population is Black, the issue has taken on racial justice undertones. The investigation was sparked by several instances, with the case of LaShawn Thompson being the most tragic. He was jailed with a psychiatric illness and died in September 2022 in the mental health unit of the jail. His body was covered in lice and filth and he died from severe neglect.
Violence has been another major issue in the jail, with an average of one stabbing a day at one point. A sheriff's search also revealed over 200 weapons in the central prison facility. Three people were killed in the jail in 2022, and in one case the victim's body was hidden for hours before being discovered. The central jail has also been seen as dilapidated and eroding, with footage airing of flooding inside housing units and walls with large holes.
Additionally, two Fulton County detention officers are facing state charges for allegedly choking a female arrestee while she was being booked at Alpharetta Jail.
The Justice Department is also looking into prisons in Alabama and Mississippi, among other states. With the civil rights investigation in Fulton County Jail, they are hoping to bring about much needed change.
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