YSL Defendant Sues Over Hellish Conditions Inside Fulton County Jail

A former defendant in Atlanta’s high-profile Young Slime Life gang conspiracy trial with Young Thug is accusing jail officials of widespread neglect and unconstitutional treatment.

After a lengthy trial, Stillwell was found guilty on only one charge: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to 10 years, but the judge commuted the sentence to credit for time served, with the balance to be served on probation.

But now Stillwell, alongside former detainee Nkenegen Hambrick, has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat and Chief Jailer John Jackson.

The pair claim the conditions at the Fulton County Jail are both inhumane and life-threatening. The lawsuit paints a grim picture of life within the jail’s deteriorating walls.

In their filing, the plaintiffs describe overcrowding, decaying infrastructure, unsanitary conditions, and unchecked violence.

Allegations of vermin infestations, insufficient medical care, and security lapses further expose what they call a “blatant disregard” for inmates’ Eighth and 14th Amendment rights.

The allegations are disturbingly detailed.

Stillwell, who was stabbed twice while awaiting trial, claims those attacks stemmed from broken cell doors and an absence of security officers.

Hambrick describes similarly harrowing experiences, alleging that the facility’s unhygienic conditions led to untreated infections after he sustained 20 stab wounds during his time at the jail in 2023.

In fact, there have been 12 stabbings at the Fulton County Jail since June 2024, highlighting ongoing security issues and violence among inmates.

“The Fulton County Jail’s management has not taken adequate steps to prevent violence, leaving detainees at constant risk of harm. We are seeking immediate reforms to ensure no more lives are endangered within these walls,” said attorney Michael Harper, who filed the suit on behalf of Stillwell and Hambrick.

The chaos within the jail, according to the lawsuit, is exacerbated by insufficient separation of inmates based on gang affiliations or threat levels, fostering an environment where violence thrives.

The legal filing arrives on the heels of a U.S. Department of Justice report condemning the Fulton County Jail, citing constitutional failings in its management and facilities.

“The Justice Department’s report concluded that Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office allowed unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Jail. As a result, people incarcerated in the Fulton County Jail suffered harms from pest infestation and malnourishment and were put at substantial risk of serious harm from violence by other incarcerated people — including homicides, stabbings and sexual abuse,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The unconstitutional and unlawful conditions at the Fulton County Jail have persisted for far too long, and we are committed to working with Fulton County and the Fulton County Sherrif’s office to remedy them.”

The lawsuit now places Fulton County’s jail management practices under the scrutiny of the federal court system.