The penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia has a history of overcrowding and unsanitary conditions for inmates.
A man who died in a prison cell in Atlanta, Georgia, was “eaten alive by bugs and bedbugs,” according to the family’s attorney.
Lashawn Thompson had been arrested for unlawful conduct (“crime“, classification used for offenses of minor offensive potential under the country’s criminal law) and placed in the psychiatric ward of the Fulton County Jail after authorities found he was suffering from mental disorders.
Family attorney Michael D. Harper released photos showing Thompson’s body covered in bugs. He told reporters that he had called for the opening of a criminal investigation and trial to investigate the case.
“Mr. Thompson was found dead in a dirty cell after being eaten alive by bugs and bedbugs,” the attorney said in a statement.
“The prison cell Mr. Thompson was housed in wasn’t even fit for a sick animal. He didn’t deserve it.”
According to a report from the Fulton County Medical Examiner (the county department responsible for performing autopsies), Thompson was found unconscious in his cell on Sept. 19 — three months after his arrest — and pronounced dead after police attempts local police and medical personnel. revive him. The information comes from the USA Today newspaper.
Harper says prison records show prison officials and medical staff noticed Thompson’s health deteriorating but did nothing to reverse the condition or help him, CBS News reported.
The coroner’s report said there was a “severe bed bug infestation” in the cell, but that there were no clear signs of trauma on Thompson’s body.
The document listed the cause of death as undetermined.
How bad can bed bugs be?
The photos released by the lawyer paint a morbid picture of Thompson. In them, one can see the man’s face and torso covered with insects.
According to the University of Kentucky entomologist Michael Potter, the conditions in the cell, as the images reveal, are “shocking”.
“I have been dealing with bed bugs for more than 20 years,” the researcher, a specialist in this type of insect, popularly known in English as “bed bug“, because it is often found in mattresses (“Bed” means “bed” and “insect“, insect).
“I’ve never seen anything like it, if that’s what I’m seeing.”
Bed bug bites are usually not fatal. In some rare cases, however, prolonged exposure to a massive bed bug infestation can cause severe anemia, which can be fatal if left untreated, Potter said.
“Bed bugs feed on blood, and large numbers of bed bugs feed on large amounts of blood,” he said. In other extreme cases, the expert added, victims can suffer an allergic reaction and go into anaphylactic shock, which can even be lethal.
The county starts an investigation
“It’s no secret that the deplorable and rapidly deteriorating condition of the facility makes it incredibly difficult to achieve our goal of providing a clean, well-maintained and healthy environment for all inmates and staff,” the County Sheriff’s Office said. in a note. Fulton.
The department, which manages the penitentiary, announced a large investigation into the circumstances of Thompson’s death and an immediate investment of $500,000 “to address the infestation of bed bugs, lice and other parasites at the County Jail.” Fulton”.
Also according to the release, the prison has also updated the “protocols of security shifts to include the analysis and supervision of the sanitation conditions” of the building.
“The ongoing investigation is examining the details of the medical care provided and will determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in this case,” the document reads.
The sheriff’s office also reiterated a call for the construction of a new and larger penitentiary to “provide high-level care, mental health services, safety and cleanliness.”
County officials are considering building a new facility to replace the current one, which has a long-standing reputation for being overcrowded, underfunded and unsanitary.
Last year, the Southern Center for Human Rights, a non-profit human rights organization, issued a press release titled Uncontrollable outbreaks of lice and scabies leave people in Fulton penitentiary dangerously malnourishedin which he described the many problems plaguing the facility and offered recommendations to “contain future outbreaks” and improve “hygienic practices”.
Source: Terra
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