Georgia Senate Probes Fulton Co. Jail Conditions Amid Inmate Deaths

ATLANTA, GA — The Georgia Senate announced Thursday an investigation into the conditions at the Fulton County Jail, a facility at Rice Street that is already under a U.S. Department of Justice civil probe.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said at a news conference the senate will examine law enforcement actions "on the streets," court case backlogs and the jail's overcrowding.

"We're not coming at this from an adversarial standpoint," he said. "We're coming at it as a body that wants to help have solutions to this problem and this issue that continues to grow, right now."

RELATED: DOJ Opens Investigation Into Fulton Jail

Georgia Sen. John Albers said a public safety subcommittee will lead the state investigation into the jail.

The committee includes Sens. Mike Dugan, Chuck Payne and Albers. Sen. Bryan Strickland and Sonia Halpern will serve as ex-officio members and were assigned to the committee by Jones.

Sen. Randy Robertson will lead the committee, Albers said.

"I have the utmost confidence that this committee of professionals will do what needs to be done," he said.

RELATED: Fulton County Inmate Found Unresponsive In Jail's Medical Unit

The news comes after multiple reports this year of inmates dying at the jail for various reasons, including Lashawn Thompson whose family contends he was eaten alive by at least 1,000 bed bugs. Fulton County officials have since reached a $4 million settlement with Thompson's family.

"We want to be the safest place, not just the best place to do business, but the safest place; and, in order to do that, your capital city has got to do that," Jones said. "Every person deserves due process and not have the unfortunate situations in the last year with the untimely deaths of individuals waiting to be arraigned in most cases."

RELATED: Family Demands Answers In Fulton County Inmate's Death

Fox 5 Atlanta reported Thursday that 10 people have died this year at the jail, which can hold more than 2,000 inmates.

"The main jail holds about 2,600 inmates on a typical day, even though it has only 2,254 beds in cells. The remaining inmates sleep in plastic bunks on the floor in common areas. Fulton already pays to house some of its remaining 1,000 inmates outside the county, but (Fulton County Sheriff Pat) Labat has sought proposals to ship some inmates to private prisons on Georgia’s southern border or in Mississippi," Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

The subcommittee will have its first meeting at 10 a.m., Nov. 2, at the Georgia Capitol. The meetings will be open to the public, and agendas will be posted on the Georgia Senate's website.