The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta subjects inmates to “inhumane, violent and hazardous conditions” that endanger their safety, according to a 16-month investigation by the US Justice Department, announced Thursday.
Justice Department officials revealed a host of problems at the jail, including broken toilets flooding housing units, infestations of roaches and rodents, exposed wiring, insufficient food, inadequate medical and mental health care, and unjustified use of force by staff, such as Tasers.
“The jail does not adequately protect inmates from violence by other inmates, such as stabbings, sexual abuse, or even murder,” Kristen Clarke, assistant US attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division, stated during a news conference in Atlanta.
The conditions at the jail violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to the report.
