DOJ reaches consent decree with Fulton County over jail conditions

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that it has reached a court-enforceable agreement with Georgia’s largest county, following an investigation that found violence and unsanitary conditions in its jails violated the constitutional rights of detainees.

Why It Matters

In November 2024, the Justice Department released a report saying that current conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County jails violate inmate rights.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office fails to protect jail detainees from violence by other inmates, including stabbings, sexual assaults and homicides, according to a detailed federal report outlining alleged abuses and proposed corrective measures.

The report highlights that vulnerable groups—such as LGBTQ+ individuals, young detainees and those with serious mental health issues—are especially at risk, facing physical harm and enduring trauma from the violence.

What To Know

The Justice Department has submitted a complaint and proposed consent decree in federal court, which now awaits judicial approval, the agency announced in a press release. If implemented effectively, the agreement aims to address and resolve the issues identified by department investigators, according to the statement.

In July 2023, the Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into conditions at Fulton County jails, citing reports of violence, unsanitary living conditions, and the in-custody death of a detainee whose body was discovered covered in insects.

Investigators concluded that jail officials failed to safeguard detainees from violence, engaged in excessive use of force, and subjected individuals to “unconstitutional and illegal conditions.”

Consent Decree

The proposed agreement between the Justice Department, Fulton County and the sheriff mandates the creation of comprehensive plans to enhance safety and conditions in the county’s jails.

Measures include improving supervision and staffing, ensuring functional doors and locks and requiring staff to meet constitutional standards when using force. Additional provisions focus on protecting at-risk detainees from suicide, providing adequate medical and mental health care and implementing a robust housekeeping and pest control program to maintain cleanliness and sanitation.

Under the consent decree, the jail will end the use of isolation for individuals vulnerable to self-harm and ensure that children with disabilities detained at the facility receive appropriate special education services.

Fulton County Jail Conditions

Fulton County’s primary jail has faced persistent challenges for years. Sheriff Patrick Labat, reelected in November, has advocated for the construction of a costly new facility since assuming office in January 2021. However, the DOJ report released the same month criticized Labat and other county officials for failing to take sufficient action to address the ongoing crisis, despite publicly acknowledging the problems.

Fulton County operates a primary jail and three annexes, but investigators found the main facility to be hazardous and unsanitary. The report cited flooding from broken plumbing, infestations of cockroaches and rodents, and filthy cells with exposed wires posing serious risks. Additionally, the jail struggles to provide adequate food, and unsanitary food distribution practices have left detainees vulnerable to malnutrition, pest infestations and other harms.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement: “This proposed consent decree is a critical step toward correcting the dangerous and dehumanizing conditions that have persisted in the Fulton County Jail for far too long.”

“When the Department announced findings from our investigation of the Fulton County Jail in November, we called on the County and Sheriff’s Office to remedy the troubling pattern of unsanitary living conditions, brutal physical attacks, and other dangerous issues at the Jail,” Garland said.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the Justice Department’s filing in a news release, stating that it had been working closely with federal officials and the county attorney’s office. The decision to proceed with a consent decree followed “extensive negotiations,” according to the statement.

In a statement, Sheriff Pat Labat said: “This consent order is a road map to a better future for our facility, staff, and the individuals entrusted to our care…Together, these opportunities will build meaningful and long-lasting change.”

What’s Next

The proposed consent decree includes the appointment of an independent monitor to evaluate the jail’s compliance with its mandates and issue a public report on progress every six months.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.