Inmates Are Dying At The Fulton County Jail Where Former President Trump Was Briefly Held

By Rayna Reid Rayford ·Updated August 31, 2023

Recently, all eyes have been on Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail. Last week, former President Donald Trump and the 18-people charged as co-conspirators were booked at the Fulton County Jail after being indicted on allegations of trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.

This week, the jail is back in the spotlight after news came to light that four inmates being held at Fulton County Jail died while in custody in August.

On August 2, 40-year-old Montay Stinson “was found unresponsive in his cell with no obvious signs of injury.” On August 10, 34-year-old Christopher Smith was found “unresponsive in a medical unit cell.” Just one week later, 66-year-old Alexander Hawkins was also “found unresponsive in a medical unit cell.” Then, on August 26, 34-year-old Samuel Lawrence was found “unresponsive in his cell.”

Before he died, “Lawrence had filed a civil rights complaint alleging excessive force from deputies and other inmates at the jail that led to injuries.”

Prior to last month, there have been at least 12 other inmates who died while in custody of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office since September 2022, making this 16 deaths, which potentially could have been avoided.

In July, after receiving allegations of extreme violence and unsanitary conditions at the Fulton County Jail, “the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a civil investigation.” These allegations were related to the death of LaShwan Thompson, whose family believes he died because bed bugs ate him alive.

When the DOJ announced they were investigating, they said they had found, “credible allegations that an incarcerated person died covered in insects and filth, that the Fulton County Jail is structurally unsafe, that prevalent violence has resulted in serious injuries and homicides, and that officers are being prosecuted for using excessive force.”

Per the DOJ, their scope involves “examin[ing] living conditions, medical and mental health care, use of excessive force, and protection from violence.” They’re also going to look into whether both or either of Fulton County Sheriff’s Office or Fulton County has been found to “discriminate against persons with psychiatric disabilities inside the jail.”

Of note, the four deaths in the span of last August all occurred since the DOJ got involved.

Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney Meg Strickler said “‘The fact that anyone is dying is reprehensible,’ adding that the system is failing these individuals, and ‘a majority of them [inmates] are people who can’t afford bond.’”

“There are just so many moving parts and it’s going to take a lot to fix but it’s getting to a point where we are in an emergency state,” Strickler continued, “Remember these people aren’t found guilty yet.”