The Justice Department has revealed that dire conditions at Georgia’s Fulton County Jail, including pest infestations, malnourishment, inadequate medical care, and rampant violence leading to multiple deaths, violate the constitutional rights of those in custody.
This announcement follows a civil rights investigation launched in July 2023, which uncovered that Georgia officials failed to protect incarcerated individuals from violence, neglected to provide humane living conditions, and ignored adequate medical and mental health care. The findings also highlighted a pattern of excessive force and the use of restrictive housing without due process.
The investigation gained momentum after the death of Lashawn Thompson, 35, in September 2022. Thompson, found malnourished in a bedbug-infested cell within the jail’s psychiatric unit, died from neglect, as confirmed by a private autopsy. His case sparked national outrage.
A 105-page report detailed long-standing unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the jail, offering recommendations for Fulton County officials to implement. Neither Fulton County nor the Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to requests for comment.
