An inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at a controversial Fulton County jail this week, officials said.
Christopher Smith, 34, died hours later at a hospital. His cause of death will be determined by the county’s Medical Examiner’s Office.
Smith’s in-custody death is the fifth among inmates at the facility this year. The Fulton County jail is currently under investigation over the September 2022 death of inmate Lashawn Thompson.
The 35-year-old prisoner was found dead inside his bedbug-infested cell. His family’s attorney said that his body was covered with insects and that he was eaten alive by the bugs, not receiving treatment for his schizophrenia, and neglected to death.
The U.S. Department of Justice found credible the claims that the jail “is structurally unsafe, that prevalent violence has resulted in serious injuries and homicide, and that officers are being prosecuted for using excessive force.”
Sheriff Patrick Labat said that the jail was in a crisis due to the extreme overcrowding and the lack of funding.
