WABE's Week In Review: Examining conditions at Fulton County jail and a visa program to protect Georgia's migrant workers

fulton county jail
The family of Lashawn Thompson said he died in the Fulton County Jail under brutal conditions and are demanding it be shut down. (Jasmine Robinson/WABE)

The family of a 35-year-old Black man who died at the Fulton County Jail says they want the facility shut down and replaced. At a press conference across the street from the Fulton County Superior Court on Thursday, April 13, Lashawn Thompson’s family said he was suffering from mental illness when he died under brutal conditions.

Dems choose Chicago over Atlanta, New York…

Democrats have chosen Chicago to host their 2024 national convention, trying to keep the party’s momentum going after last fall’s midterm election success in the critical Midwest. That Chicago beat out Atlanta was nonetheless a surprise given Georgia’s strategic importance as a swing state.

Biden won Georgia two years ago, becoming the first Democrat to do so in a presidential election since Clinton in 1992, and his party now controls both of its Senate seats after wins that drew national attention the last two cycles.

Also in this episode…

— Emily Wu Pearson looks at how a new visa program could protect migrant workers in Georgia from abuse.

— Sam Gringlas reports on a new rule proposed by the Biden Administration that would likely conflict with a Georgia High School Association policy on transgender student athletes.

— Jess Mador and Molly Samuel discuss Georgia’s abortion law in the wake of recent court rulings on abortion medication.

— Rahul Bali tells us about Fulton County Commissioners considering a new sales tax to fund hospitals and healthcare.

— Jim Burress talks to an expert on invasive species in Georgia and how to help keep their populations from growing.

— DorMiya Vance reports the Atlanta Community Food Bank says it expects a greater need over the upcoming summer season.