CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen is sharing an update on the dangers inside the jail after an inmate was attacked and killed.
Last week, Allen says inmate Michael Hunt was found unresponsive in his cell in the mental health housing unit while a meal was being served in the dayroom.
Hunt was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died on April 1.
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Investigators say he was hit and stomped on by fellow inmate Jalen Leverette. Leverette was initially charged with aggravated assault and battery on an elderly person, but after Hunt’s death, Leverette’s charges were upgraded to malice murder.
Allen says this incident serves as a reminder of the dangers faced inside the jail.
“A jail is not a college campus. It is not an amusement park like Six Flags or Disney World,” he said in a statement. “It is a detention facility housing individuals charged with serious and violent crimes.”
He says the jail is currently housing 155 inmates charged with taking another person’s life.
The sheriff added that the jail has outgrown its intended capacity by at least 15 years. Currently, they are housing 300 more inmates than its designed capacity.
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He also said that they are funded for only 123 correctional officers, but a study found that the facility needs 177 officers at a minimum, but would ideally have 235.
"The public must understand that the men and women who work inside this jail operate in one of the most dangerous environments in our community every single day," Allen wrote. "Despite these challenges, our commitment remains unwavering."
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