Scathing Justice Dept report says Georgia jail left inmates vulnerable to dangerous conditions
CBSN
The jail in Georgia's largest county, Fulton County, leaves its inmates vulnerable to "substantial risk of serious harm from violence" and violates their constitutional and statutory rights, according to a new Justice Department report released Thursday.
After a more than year-long civil rights probe into the Fulton County Jail – which has long been plagued by overcrowding, understaffing and violence — federal investigators concluded detainees are subjected to "dangerous and unsanitary" conditions, like pest infestations and malnourishment. These conditions especially endanger those with mental health conditions, the report found.
"None of these problems are new," the report said. "And despite widespread awareness of these issues, the unconstitutional and illegal conditions have persisted."
