The Department of Justice’s investigation into inmates’ living conditions at the Fulton County Jail has been welcomed as another chance for improvement. The jail, which is located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, has previously dealt with overcrowding, hygiene concerns, and understaffing.

As previously reported by REVOLT, a civil rights investigation into the facility’s alleged unsanitary conditions was launched this month following public outcry over the death of Lashawn Thompson. The 35-year-old man passed away in September 2022, just three months after being housed in the jail’s psychiatric wing. While in custody, he suffered from untreated schizophrenia. At the time of his death, his body was covered in bug bites, which later led a medical examiner to declare that he had endured an insect infection. Thompson’s family described his cell conditions as those of a torture chamber.

On Friday (July 14), Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat made his first public comments on the ongoing legal matter. “We’re excited about having another audit, another opportunity for people to come by and help us get it right,” he said, as reported by WSB-TV. “We don’t discriminate. Our goal is to maintain our focus on care and custody, maintain our focus on that.”

Labat continued, “We’ve been transparent since day one. So when an arrest needs to be made of a contractor and/or members of our team, we’ve been very transparent. Our goal is to remain transparent and work in lockstep with the DOJ.”

The jail was under court supervision from 2006 to 2015 as it spent millions to rectify staffing issues and make improvements within the 14-floor building. In April, plans to relocate 600 inmates to other regional facilities were announced. Authorities were also given an emergency expenditure of $500,000 to address the infestation of lice, bed bugs, and other pests.