FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2024
CONTACT: media@colorofchange.org
DOJ RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON FULTON COUNTY JAIL
ORGS INCLUDING COLOR OF CHANGE CALL ON SHERIFF TO RESIGN
Fulton, GA. – A new investigation released by the U.S. Department of Justice has uncovered unconstitutional conditions at the Fulton County Jail, prompting urgent calls for accountability. According to a report released on Thursday, the jail subjects those incarcerated to “inhumane, violent, and hazardous conditions” that significantly endanger their lives. The investigation, which lasted 16 months, documented overcrowded housing units plagued by broken toilets, rampant infestations of rodents and roaches, and insufficient access to food and medical care.
The investigation also revealed that “Jail deputies and detention officers use force against incarcerated people without adequate justification..” In light of these findings, Color Of Change, the nation’s largest racial justice organization, has issued a statement calling for the resignation of Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat.
“We applaud the DOJ for their work but in many ways they are telling us what we already knew. The jail is run by a sheriff who is negligent and who enables abuse. It is unacceptable that incarcerated individuals are being subjected to the violence, abuse, and inhumane conditions that the DOJ detailed,” states Michael Collins, Senior Director of Government Affairs, State and Local. “Given the report’s findings, we call for the immediate resignation of Sheriff Patrick Labat. He must take responsibility for allowing this crisis to unfold unchecked. It is evident he did not prioritize the safety and dignity of those in his care, something that is inexcusable. ”
Southern Center for Human Rights, The Black Futurists Group, Women on the Rise, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights and Stop Criminalization Of Our Patients – members of the Community Over Cages Coalition – are also calling for Sheriff Labat to step down.
Color Of Change is open to further discussion on the conditions at the Fulton County Jail.
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ABOUT COLOR OF CHANGE
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org