Conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County Jail are so bad that they’re violating inmates’ civil rights, according to the U.S. Justice Department. A DOJ investigation found the jail’s housing units were flooded by broken toilets, infested with roaches and rodents, and had dangerous exposed wiring.
They also said inmates were malnourished from a lack of food, didn’t have access to medical and mental health care and staff often used force, like Tasers, without justification.
On top of that, the DOJ said the jail doesn’t protect inmates from other inmates like it should.
“In 2023 alone, we identified 314 stabbings and more than 8,000 assaults,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. “This rate of violence exceeds what we’ve seen in other cities across the country. The Fulton County Jail had as many stabbings in a single month as the Miami-Dade County Jail had all year. And that’s a facility with one and a half times more people. Since 2022, six people in the jail have lost their lives to violence.”
DOJ officials said conditions in the jail violate the 8th and 14th Amendments, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The report says the U.S. Attorney General’s Office could file a lawsuit to correct the issues if state officials don’t address the concerns within 49 days.