The synthetic opioid fentanyl contributed to at least two of four recent inmate deaths at the Athens-Clarke County Jail and two nonfatal overdoses, Sheriff John Q. Williams said last week.
Autopsies have not yet been completed, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, but Williams said at a July 14 news conference that fentanyl was a factor. “We do believe we’ve identified the most recent source of where fentanyl was coming in,” he said. “We do have information that some but not all four of these deaths… may have involved some drugs.”
On July 8, the sheriff’s office reported that jail staff found a 31-year-old Black man unresponsive in his cell. Attempts to resuscitate him failed, and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Later that day, jail staff found two other inmates unresponsive in separate cells—a white man, age 28, and a Black man, 36. They were revived and taken to a hospital. “Both individuals are being evaluated for suspected drug overdoses after deputies found suspected drugs inside the housing unit,” a news release from the sheriff’s office said.
Another inmate, a 32-year-old Black man, was found dead in his cell on May 5. A 39-year-old Black male inmate died on Apr. 22. Williams also revealed at the news conference that another hospitalized inmate was not expected to survive. He said that the inmate was released into the custody of his family while on life support. Fox 5 News later reported that the man had died on July 14, after being kept alive long enough to donate his organs.
Williams identified the four deceased men as Shabazz Wingfield, Torrence Bishop, Boycie Howard and Brent Boling. “These are unimaginable tragedies, and my heart breaks for each and every one of them,” Williams said. “They were members of our community, and their lives mattered.”
Jail officials cited a chronic staffing shortage and inadequate camera system as factors in their deaths. The department is currently about 40 deputies short of fully staffed, Williams said, and jail shifts that should include 20 people are only manned by 10–12. The Athens-Clarke County Commission included funding to raise deputy salaries up to the level of other law enforcement officers in ACC’s 2026 budget, after Williams told commissioners that without higher salaries to attract more deputies, future deaths would “be on your head.” The raises just took effect on July 1.
As for the source of the fentanyl, Williams said it was being smuggled in by people who had been arrested. The drug is 50–100 times more potent than morphine, so an “invisible” amount the size of a pencil tip can be fatal, he said, making it easy to hide. “We’ve found no evidence of any staff bringing drugs into the facility,” he said.
In 2022, a former major at the jail, Jessica Goings, alleged that guards were smuggling in drugs. At the time, Williams asked the GBI to conduct an investigation. He said last week that there is no ongoing investigation and referred reporters to the GBI for comment. A GBI spokesperson told Flagpole to submit an open records request for the results of the investigation. There is a four- to six-week backlog to respond to such requests, according to GBI.
Fentanyl use is also a community-wide issue not limited to the jail. Citing statistics from the county coroner’s office, Williams said 46 people in Athens died from overdosing on fentanyl last year. Half of them had previously served time in jail. “This affirms the strong correlation between incarceration and drug addiction, and highlights the widespread presence of substance abuse disorders in the criminal justice system,” Williams said.
Upon being booked into jail, inmates are patted down, sent through a body scanner and, if they’re unlikely to bond out quickly, given a strip search and a uniform, as well as a medical screening, jail officials said. Those with a history of substance abuse are assigned to treatment ranging from counseling to detox, and given a plan to continue treatment once they’re released. Medical staff make rounds twice a day to distribute medication and check on inmates. Williams said his department also makes an effort to educate both inmates and the broader community about the dangers of fentanyl.
He compared it to a previous epidemic of a drug called “spice,” which dealers would spray onto envelopes and letters that were mailed to inmates, who would smoke the paper. Jail staff solved that problem by scanning mail onto a tablet for the recipient to read, then destroying the original.
But Williams cautioned that no strategy is foolproof. “We have to understand we’re never going to be able to 100% eliminate contraband from entering the jail,” he said.
He ended with a pitch for job applicants, noting that the department is offering a $10,000 signing bonus. “It’s a good career,” he said. “It’s a stable career.”
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