ATLANTA — An inmate died by suicide Wednesday morning at the Fulton County Jail, the sheriff's office said.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said the inmate was "found unresponsive in his cell" and that lifesaving measures were performed by medical staff, which were unsuccessful.
"The Atlanta Police Department is conducting an investigation and the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy. The preliminary cause of death is suicide," a statement said. "The identity of the inmate is pending next of kin notification."
The death reported Wednesday is the third this year.
The most recent death prior to Wednesday's occurred last week when 37-year-old Leonard Fortner was stabbed to death by another inmate. Another inmate, 36-year-old Michael Holland, died after being found unresponsive in a cell in January.
An autopsy on Holland's death released last week did not determine a cause of death, but noted he had been dragged around and carried between cells for more than an hour before staff noticed.
More than two dozen inmates have died either in custody or following medical emergencies at the jail since January 2022.
he Department of Justice opened a civil investigation into the facility on July 13, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat released a statement at that time saying he met with DOJ officials and the jail is fully prepared to cooperate with the investigation.
"The humanitarian crisis at the Fulton County Rice Street Jail is not new. Recognizing the systemic concerns that have plagued the Fulton County Jail for decades, I contacted DOJ’s National Institute of Corrections (NIC) in September of 2022, making an urgent request for a security audit, technical assistance and support surrounding the circumstances at the jail," Labat wrote in the statement in part.
So far, no findings from the federal investigation have been released.
After the stabbing death last week, Sheriff Labat said the jail "is in crisis and has been in crisis for decades."
The sheriff and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners have been at odds over who is responsible for the deteriorated conditions at the jail and what would best fix them.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement last week, saying, "I am extremely concerned about the crisis at the Fulton County Jail. All human life must become a priority to Fulton County. Historically, the Fulton County Commission has underfunded quality of life services for inmates, physical and mental health services for County residents and people are paying the price—at times, with their lives.“
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