Stabbing, 9th death at Fulton County Jail prompts concerns about inmate safety
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A deadly series of stabbings at the Fulton County Jail has once again amplified concerns about inmate safety inside the facility. This latest incident marks the ninth in-custody jail death since the start of this year and the fifth to happen in August alone.
"The sheriff’s job is to protect the citizens," Christopher Ingram said. "They’re still citizens."
Ingram told FOX 5 when he saw reports about the stabbing Thursday, he immediately rushed to the facility to do a wellness check on his son. That’s because just a little over a month and a half ago, his son was also the victim of a stabbing.
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"You can’t come back from death. That’s serious," he said. "They came to his cell with makeshift shanks in the middle of his sleep and popped the door, so the doors are insecure and there’s no officer in the dorm that’s watching inmates."
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat—now under intense scrutiny—blamed recent violence at the facility on longstanding issues of overcrowding, understaffing and poor conditions inside the jail he’s sought to have replaced.
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Officials have identified the inmate killed in a stabbing at the Fulton County Jail as a 23-year-old who had been in custody since January.
"Getting arrested should not be a death sentence, and that’s what it’s starting to seem like," Criminal Defense Attorney Chinwe Foster told FOX 5.
Foster said she’s witnessed a noticeable decline over the years.
"Recently, it’s worse than I’ve ever seen it in the 19 years that I’ve been practicing. I have clients who are not receiving their medication, I have clients who are being ignored," she explained.
In July, the US Department of Justice announced it would begin investigating operations at the jail after reports of deplorable living conditions at the facility.
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Commissioners evaluating options to address ongoing issues at Fulton County Jail
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts spent the day in discussions with the sheriff, county staff and state lawmakers about the escalating crisis at the Rice Street facility.
In response to questions about efforts to address increased violence, Sheriff Labat issued the following statement:
"The recent outbreak of violence at the Fulton County Jail is of grave concern, but unfortunately is not surprising considering the long-standing, dangerous overcrowding and the crumbling walls of the facility that are literally being crafted into makeshift weapons that inmates use to attack each other and staff. We have had an unfortunate series of deaths this year that range from natural causes, to pre-existing health conditions, to homicide. To mitigate the violence and overcrowding, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is in constant negotiations with other detention facilities, including facilities out of state, to outsource inmates. In addition, we have been coordinating with other agencies to secure additional resources to assist with mass shakedowns and increase the cadence of these shakedowns in order to seize contraband. Since taking office on January 1, 2021, I have been very transparent about the urgent need for a replacement jail that uses smart technology and other common-sense cost saving measures that will relieve the dangerous overcrowding, improve security, provide humane detainment, and most importantly save lives."
Both Foster and Ingram said more than that needs to be done before another person gets hurt.
As of the date this article was published, the medical examiner’s office was still performing an autopsy on Dayvion Blake, the inmate who died. The condition of the other three inmates was unclear, but officials said Atlanta police would release names and charges for those involved.