ATLANTA — On Wednesday, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office announced another inmate had died in their custody over the weekend after being found unresponsive in his cell.
The death of 24-year old Shawndre Delmore this past Sunday continues an alarming trend at the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street in Atlanta. Since Aug. 1, an inmate has died every week. That's an astounding average of one inmate death per week.
"The family is devastated by this loss," Delmore's family attorney Mawuli Davis said in a statement. "We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to help this family get the answers they deserve so they can begin to grieve."
Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Rob Pitts said the situation has reached a "crisis" level.
"We have to admit that and we have admitted that and the sheriff has admitted that," Pitts told 11Alive in an exclusive interview.
Since September 2022, the sheriff's office said they've had 17 in-custody deaths. The recent string of deaths, along with the July 13 announcement of a Department of Justice Civil Rights investigation into the facility, has generated a lot of concern about what's happening inside the jail.
"The trend is going in the wrong direction," Pitts said.
On Wednesday afternoon, after the Fulton County Board of Commissioners' meeting, Pitts said he met with the Fulton County Manager Dick Anderson and Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat. Pitts said the consensus is that they're going to have to work in tandem in order to fix the issues inside the jail.
Pitts said the board's immediate priority is reducing the number of inmates in the jail.
"Which theoretically, should mean that the sheriff who’s responsible for the jail, he and his deputies should be able to manage better a reduced number of inmates," Pitts explained.
He said they've identified two prisons who have the ability to house some of the inmates they are looking to move out of the jail on Rice Street to help in the overcrowding.
"One is in Georgia about four and half hours away the other is in Mississippi about five and a half hours away," Pitts said without identifying the two facilities.
According to the numbers as of Wednesday night provided on the Fulton County Sheriff's Office app, their total jail population is at 3,593 with their "target" being 2,254 inmates. Specifically, looking at the Fulton County Rice Street Jail population, according to the app, there were 2,531 inmates housed in the facility. It lists it as "Above Capacity" which states the "Operational Capacity" at 2,254 inmates.
"You can't sugar coat it, we have a problem at the jail," Pitts said.
He said while the overcrowding is the immediate concern, Pitts went on to explain there's plenty of blame to go around -- including those responsible for inmates who are sitting inside for weeks, months and even years who are still not indicted. He referenced judges not doing their jobs, and even pointed out the recent events that put the facility on Rice Street in the world headlines.
"You turn on TV, here comes some white collar suits and breeze in and out like it’s nothing, your loved ones local are just sitting there… and people are getting pissed off. Period," Pitts said.
He was referencing 18 of the 19 defendants in the Georgia 2020 election RICO case. They were able to work out prior negotiated bond pleas and spent less than an hour in booking before being released.
Defense attorneys in the past have told 11Alive one of the most difficult things is getting their clients in front of a judge for a bond hearing after being booked and making their first appearance.