Fulton County Jail: Human rights group warns more inmates will die

Attorney blames leadership for jail culture

The Southern Center for Human Rights plans to contact a federal monitor after former inmates reported receiving inadequate food, water, and medical attention at the Fulton County Jail, according to an attorney with the organization.

ATLANTA - An organization advocating for decency and justice believes more inmates will die at the Fulton County Jail after listening to the horrifying accounts of two former prisoners. Earlier this week, the women exposed crumbling conditions, revealing they went without adequate food, water or a decent place to sleep. 

Fulton County Jail conditions

What we know:

Former inmates Connie Lott and Amber Tyer described a culture of trauma and tragedy that continues to penetrate the facility. "Once you get in there, it's like I would rather die than just sit here," Lott said. 

Attorney Devin Franklin with the Southern Center for Human Rights said it was tough to listen to their stories. He warned that the exact same conditions the women articulated have already led to dozens of past deaths inside the jail. 

Southern Center for Human Rights

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed how they will address the direct complaints regarding inadequate food and water. Sheriff Patrick Labat has not yet publicly responded to the specific allegations or stated whether internal policy changes are underway. 

Federal monitor intervention

What they're saying:

Franklin believes leadership is a big part of the problem and notes many complaints could be solved with common courtesy and basic human dignity. He points out that the ongoing issues have nothing to do with the physical, crumbling walls of the outdated building. 

"Regardless of what a person is charged with, of how long they're in custody, they should always be treated with the basic human dignity and respect," Franklin said. "We have a federal consent decree in practice, in place, and, you know, we are now kind of venturing into the land of, like, non-compliance." 

Jail leadership scrutiny

The backstory:

Following the broadcast of the women's stories, the Southern Center for Human Rights announced plans to reach out to a federal monitor with these urgent concerns. Franklin argues that leadership refuses to acknowledge its own role in the crisis. 

"Everything that we hear out of the mouth of Sheriff Labat is about me, me, what I haven't received, what the board hasn't done for me, why I need more money, why this is a problem," Franklin said. "The question comes like, when do you step up Sheriff Labat to show that you are actually caring about these people?"