FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice released the results of its investigation into conditions at the Fulton County Jail. They say inmates inside the jail had their civil rights violated.
One of the cases they cited in the report was that of LaShawn Thompson, who died in a bedbug-infested cell inside the jail.
Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke to Thompson’s family after the report was released.
“I most definitely want to see criminal charges,” Brad Mcrae, Thompson’s brother, said.
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Thompson, who suffered from mental health issues, was found dead inside his jail cell and covered in bed bugs.
Attorneys with the DOJ said they began investigating conditions at the Fulton County Jail following Thompson’s death.
The nearly 100-page summary details how the jail violated “the constitutional and statutory rights of people incarcerated.”
The report outlines issues from use of force without justification, living conditions that don’t meet constitutional standards, inadequate medical care and more.
“Living conditions at the jail are both hazardous and unsanitary,” said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “Broken toilets, rodents, roaches and pest abound.”
Vulnerable populations, including people who are gay, transgender, young or have serious mental illness, are particularly at risk from the violence, which causes physical injury and long-lasting trauma, the report says.
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“Our investigation finds longstanding, unconstitutional, unlawful and dangerous conditions that jeopardize the lives and well-being of the people held there,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said at a news conference.
“Lack of care at the jail has led to at least 17 non-homicide, non-suicide deaths in 2022 and 2023,” explained U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan.
“The jail needs to be shut down and their needs to be a culture change,” said Thompson family attorney Michael Harper.
On Thursday afternoon, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat and Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts addressed the findings in the investigation.
“This is decades old problems, but ultimately it also said that these are fixable opportunities and that is what our plan is as we move forward,” said Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat.
You can read the full report below.
Fulton County Jail Findings Report by Jennifer Smith on Scribd
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