Protests planned over conditions at Fulton County Jail after Justice Department report

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – Protesters plan to rally in Fulton County on Thursday over conditions at the county jail.

Protests came a week after the attack The US Department of Justice published a report He called the condition of the troubled facility on Rice Street “unconstitutional and illegal.”

The group, which plans to protest outside the Fulton County Courthouse Thursday morning and in front of the jail in the afternoon, is calling on the county to address what it calls “two pressing problems in the Fulton County justice system.”

“We are deeply disturbed by the DOJ’s findings and what they reveal about the state of the Fulton County Jail,” protest organizer Ten Wilkerson told FOX 5. Fairness and honesty in our legal proceedings. “We call for immediate action and accountability from Fulton County officials.”

Department of Justice investigation into Fulton County Jail

The Justice Department report was part of a year-long investigation into living conditions at the prison, access to medical and mental health care, and use of force by staff.

“Our investigation reveals long-standing, unconstitutional, illegal and dangerous conditions that endangered the lives and well-being of people held there,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said at a news conference announcing the release of the report. he said.

MORE FULTON COUNTY JAIL TITLES

Authorities said they began their investigation following an independent autopsy of 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson, who was in prison in 2022.

Held on a simple battery charge, Thompson was found unconscious in his cell after months in custody; a medical doctor declared his malnourished body to be riddled with lice, eventually concluding that he had been “neglected to death.” His death, along with three others in the same mental health unit, made local and national headlines within a year and brought attention to the prison.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DOJ REPORT

The Ministry of Justice said that in 2023, 313 stabbings and more than 1,000 assaults were detected at the prison, which currently houses about 2,000 people. This rate was 1.5 times the rate of stabbings in New York City Jail and more than 27 times the rate of all bladed weapon-related incidents in Miami-Dade County Jail. In the first 9 months of 2023, more than 200 incarcerated people were urgently transferred to an outside hospital due to injuries resulting from attacks.

“We cannot ignore the inhumane, violent and dangerous conditions that people are subjected to at the Fulton County Jail,” said Clarke. “Incarceration in the Fulton County Jail is a death sentence for dozens of people who have been killed or died as a result of the horrific conditions inside the facility.”

The report alleged that prison staff abused their power and accused them of unfairly stun inmates and turning a blind eye when they saw injuries or fights.

Federal officials are threatening to sue if the county doesn’t quickly fix the problems.

Sheriff clashes with Fulton County Board over jail plan

The Fulton County Jail is the responsibility of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, led by recently re-elected Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners provides funding for the jail and maintains jail facilities. The county also sets funding levels for the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Labat has acknowledged problems at the jail and has unsuccessfully pushed for a new jail in the past. But commissioners voted in July to scrap plans for a new $2 billion facility and instead spend $300 million to renovate existing prison facilities.

RELATING TO: New $2 billion Fulton County Jail canceled, commissioners approve renovation plan

The sheriff responded by saying renovating the Fulton County Jail was like putting a Band-Aid on a growing problem. The sheriff acknowledged that the building had been weaponized and that renovations were not the solution.

Recently Sheriff Labat was calling They demanded the restoration of overtime pay after a $2 million cut, citing low morale among civil servants and dozens of resignations. That request was denied Wednesday night By the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.