The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday that it has launched a civil investigation into the Fulton County, Georgia, jail system following a series of reports of inmate abuse and neglect, includingKristen Clarke, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division head, said investigators will examine living conditions in the jail, inmates' access to medical and mental health care services and allegations of use of excessive force by staff.
The DOJ said the investigation will be conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia. "While nothing can undo the injustice that Lashawn Thompson faced, it is a tragedy that can hopefully amount to much needed change inside of the Fulton County Jail," they said in a statement. "It is our prayer that the DOJ confirms the clear pattern of negligence and abuse that happens in Fulton County and swiftly ends it so that no other family experiences this devastation."