John,
HAPPENING NOW: 263 people have been released from the Fulton County Jail. This morning, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners released a report showing the population in the grossly overcrowded jail has been reduced by 7% since early September 2023.
John, this a critical step forward in clearing the backlog of people being held pretrial in the Fulton County Jail, but the fight isn't over.
The conditions in the Fulton County Jail continue to be so deplorable that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating.1 More than 20 people have died in the jail during the past year alone.2
Lashawn Thompson, a 35-year-old Black man, died while incarcerated at the Fulton County Jail. Lashawn was found on Sept. 13, 2022, in his cell, covered with insect bites and feces. He had been in custody for three months on a misdemeanor assault charge. Here’s the thing, John, Lashawn was being held pretrial because he was unable to pay a $2,500 bail. No one should be locked in a cage simply because they can’t afford to pay bail. It’s time for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to clear the backlog and process cases in a timely manner.
John, we need your help demanding that DA Willis clear the backlog and ensure a speedy trial.
TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell fani willis to CLEAR THE BACKLOG
Lashawn isn’t alone. Fulton County is a national outlier in the number of people held behind bars until their trial. There is a backlog of more than 10,000 cases. There are currently thousands of people who can’t work, take care of their families or maintain their lives because they are too poor to pay bail.
Too many people are being held — and too many are dying — because of the failures of DA Willis to process cases in a timely fashion. The impact on Black communities is two-fold: Too many Black people are locked up because of a disproportionate number of interactions with police officers. And because they don’t have the money to pay bail, they stay locked up longer, which hurts families and communities. Public officials like DA Willis have the resources to invest in comprehensive public safety measures and significantly reduce jail populations.
We must demand better, John. Call on DA Willis to put an end to the atrocities at the Fulton County Jail. That starts with clearing the backlog and ensuring no one is being held pretrial because of their financial status.
SIGN THE PETITION: nO ONE SHOULD BE LOCKED UP PRETRIAL
With your help, we can make our demands clear. People’s lives are on the line.
Thank you for joining us in this urgent fight.
Until Justice Is Real,
The Government Affairs Team at Color Of Change
References:
1.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/398825?t=9&akid=57086%2E4731121%2EHLD_-N
2.https://act.colorofchange.org/go/398824?t=11&akid=57086%2E4731121%2EHLD_-N
