Crisis In City Jails - Fulton County Jail Scandals Increase -

A Georgia state Senate subcommittee has launched its own investigation into Fulton County Jail after the U.S. Department of Justice announced a federal investigation earlier this year following the troubling death of an incarcerated person. The Atlanta jail has come under fire for mounting violence, overcrowding, excessive force and unsanitary conditions. Officials have blamed a lack of resources and each other for the crisis. New accusations about funds have come to light in recent weeks, as documents revealed hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to improve inmate welfare were spent on such things as Honey Baked Ham Co. gift cards for staff, vehicles, lunches, and jugglers who performed at a community event. Commissioners also rescinded $2.1 million previously allotted for an inmate health lawmakers are looking at jail conditions, funding, management, and the court system, subcommittee Chair Randy Robertson said. So far this year, there have been nearly 300