For Immediate Release: January 10, 2024
Contact: media@colorofchange.org 

In Atlanta, Color Of Change Demands Action as Fulton County Jail Records the First Death of 2024

ATLANTA- Today, 36-year-old Michael Anthony Holland was found unresponsive in his cell at the Rice Street Jail. He was later pronounced dead after being transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. In response, Color Of Change released the following statement from Michael Collins, Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs:

“First and foremost, Color Of Change mourns the loss of Michael Anthony Holland, and submits due respects to all who knew him and all who loved him. Mr. Holland’s death is the first of 2024 for the Fulton County Jail system, the same system that took 10 lives last year alone. While we await further details from the autopsy and public officials, we will continue to push for life-saving reforms out of Fulton County. We encourage District Attorney Fani Willis and other stakeholders to continue their efforts to reduce incarceration in a system that is still above capacity. We need to see an end to the use of cash bail. And we need to see the huge backlog of cases cleared. We know that the Fulton County jail system is dangerous, and lack of action will lead to more lives lost.”

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