Federal probe of Fulton jail gets tougher

Federal authorities arrested a former Fulton County jailer Friday and disclosed an ongoing FBI investigation of excessive force and cover-ups that were hatched afterward at the long-troubled county jail.

Former jailer Curtis Jerome Brown Jr., 41, of Lithonia faces federal charges of civil rights violations, obstruction and making false statements.

In August 2007, Brown beat an inmate whose hands were handcuffed behind his back, leaving him bloodied and in need of medical attention, federal prosecutors said Friday. This prompted an internal affairs investigation of Brown.

Seven months later, Brown was still on the job. Then, he beat a mentally ill inmate who later died, according to the criminal complaint unsealed Friday.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias expressed frustration that jail officials have hindered the federal probe, which began about a year ago. “The people involved are not telling the truth,” he said. “We’re not going to stand for that anymore.”

Nahmias appeared in front of the jail Friday with the clear intention of rattling the cage to gain cooperation from guards.

Those involved who fail to come forward or lie will be “led out of their homes in handcuffs” and spend time as inmates, Nahmias said.

“We will go wherever the evidence leads us,” he said.

For several years, a federal judge has monitored the Fulton jail. In 2006, the county pledged to improve conditions after a lawsuit accused the jail of being understaffed, crowded, dirty and dangerous. The jail usually houses about 2,200 inmates, but, because of construction, it houses about 1,700 now.

In January, Senior U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob put Fulton County commissioners on notice they could face fines or imprisonment if they failed to provide sufficient funding for the facility.

Federal authorities said that on Aug. 11, 2007, one inmate was handcuffed behind his back for being disruptive.

Brown later moved this inmate to another floor, put on black leather gloves and beat the inmate in the head and face, according to the complaint.

After jailers reported the incident, Brown falsely told his supervisor he gave the inmate “an open hand smack” when the inmate made an aggressive move, the complaint said.

On March 18, 2008, Brown and two others beat a mentally ill inmate who was loud and agitated, the complaint said. The inmate was found unresponsive and not breathing on his cell floor. He died.

Brown was fired months later, after the federal probe began.

Fulton Sheriff Ted Jackson on Friday said he could not explain why the Office of Professional Standards’ initial investigation of Brown was not concluded before the second alleged assault.

“It would be speculation,” Jackson said, noting the probe was conducted while his predecessor, Myron Freeman, was sheriff. Jackson said internal affairs stopped investigations for an 18-month period before he took office in January.

Jackson said he has installed a special team to handle investigations, with the goal of having them completed as soon as possible.