Probe launched into Atlanta jail where prisoner was 'eaten alive' by insects

The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta is now the target of a federal civil rights investigation after it was reported that unsanitary conditions on the jail contributed to the death of a inmate who was suffering from insect infestation, The Washington Post reported.

Lashawn Thompson, 35, was pronounced dead in his jail cell last September. An autopsy found that he died of cardiac arrhythmia and was malnourished and dehydrated while his body was covered with bed bugs and other insects, according to reports. He was also diagnosed with a schizophrenia disorder that he was not receiving medication for.

His attorney said that he had been "eaten alive."

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke told reporters that jail inmates "do not surrender their constitutional and civil rights at the jailhouse door."

“The vast majority of people held in jails have not been convicted. Some are waiting bail hearings, competency evaluations or restoration services, or they were detained because of their inability to post bail. Some will see their charges dropped or are waiting to be transferred to other jurisdictions," she said.

Clarke said that Thompson's death was not an isolated incident, pointing to homicides and other violent incidents at the jail. She also called the investigation a "racial justice issue," citing the fact that Thompson was Black and that Black people make up about 87 percent of those held at the jail.

Read the full report at The Washington Post.