By The Vanguard Staff
ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Dept. of Justice announcement late this week that it has opened a civil investigation into the conditions in the Fulton County Jail in Georgia comes too late to help Lashawn Thompson, a detainee who died after being housed at the jail for three months, said the family’s attorney Ben Crump.
Noting an independent autopsy ruled Thompson’s death a homicide stemming from “severe neglect,” Crump said he hopes the investigation “confirms the clear pattern of negligence and abuse that happens in Fulton County and swiftly ends it so that no other family experiences this devastation.
“While nothing can undo the injustice that Lashawn Thompson faced, it is a tragedy that can hopefully amount to much needed change inside of the Fulton County Jail,” Crump added.
The DOJ said, “Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the Department has found significant justification to open this investigation, including credible allegations that an incarcerated person died covered in insects and filth, that the Fulton County Jail is structurally unsafe, that prevalent violence has resulted in serious injuries and homicides, and that officers are being prosecuted for using excessive force.”
The DOJ explained the probe will “examine living conditions, medical and mental health care, use of excessive force, and protection from violence. The investigation will also examine whether Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office discriminate against persons with psychiatric disabilities inside the jail.”
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, “We launched this investigation into the Fulton County Jail based on serious allegations of unsafe, unsanitary living conditions at the jail, excessive force and violence within the jail, discrimination against incarcerated individuals with mental health issues, and failure to provide adequate medical care to incarcerated individuals.”
Garland added, “People in prisons and jails are entitled to basic protections of their civil rights. During this comprehensive review of the conditions of confinement at the Fulton County Jail, the Justice Department will determine whether systemic violations of federal laws exist, and if so, how to correct them.”
“The unconstitutional conditions that we see too often inside jails and prisons have no place in society today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Clarke added, “We are launching this investigation to determine whether Fulton County’s treatment of people in the jail complies with constitutional standards. We are committed to ensuring jail and prison facilities provide constitutional conditions, in which all people can live safely and receive medical care. Incarceration should never include exposure to unconstitutional living conditions, including the risk of serious harm from violence.”
“All Georgians deserve fairness from the institutions that serve us, including our local jails,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia.
Buchanan noted, “The recent allegations of filthy housing teeming with insects, rampant violence resulting in death and injuries, and officers using excessive force are cause for grave concern and warrant a thorough investigation. This investigation is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that citizens are safe, and their constitutional rights protected, even while they are in custody.”
The DOJ said it has “not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Both statutes give the Department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of people confined to correctional facilities.”
