The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a civil rights investigation into the Fulton County jail system in Georgia, the state's most populous county. The investigation will focus on several key areas, including the overall quality of living conditions, access to medical and mental healthcare within the facilities, the potential use of excessive force by jail staff, and the prevalence of conditions that may contribute to violence among inmates. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the investigation, highlighting the jail's history of challenges.

The investigation follows the September death of Lashawn Thompson, whose body was discovered covered in insects in a bedbug-infested cell in the jail's psychiatric wing. An independent autopsy commissioned by Thompson's family attributed his death to neglect. This incident, along with the recent death of 19-year-old Noni Battiste-Kosoko in an Atlanta city jail cell managed by the Fulton County Sheriff's office, prompted the Justice Department's intervention. Battiste-Kosoko was found unresponsive in her cell with no apparent injuries.

This latest investigation comes as the Justice Department continues a separate, ongoing civil rights investigation into Georgia's state prison system, which was launched in September 2021.