Bibb County Jail death sparks new calls for reform after string of incidents

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) –

is prompting renewed calls for change.

The jail has faced criticism for years. In 2023, it made headlines when

, resulting in a statewide manhunt. All of them were recaptured after a nearly month-long search involving local authorities and the FBI.

In 2024, the death of Stephen Fossett sparked outrage in the community. Fossett died in custody after being tased and dragged across the floor. Fossett struggled with schizophrenia and was under the influence of synthetic marijuana at the time of the incident.

Now in 2025, the list of incidents continues to grow. In April,

, with the sheriff’s office saying that Crafter had an extensive medical history. That same month,

after two inmates assaulted him with scalding hot water through a cell door.

Lemuel Brown, president of the Macon-Bibb Middle Georgia chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), has been vocal about the need for change. He says inhumane conditions inside the jail could play a part in the inmates’ mental state and that the community must be involved in pushing for change.

“The Bibb County Jail is understaffed,” he said. “When you’re understaffed, you’re not able to provide the security that is necessary to maintain an environment.”

He called for community engagement.

“It’s someone else’s child today, but it could be their child tomorrow.”

Brown also reminded elected officials of what he said were there constitutional obligations to provide adequate conditions for inmates.

“If they don’t, it becomes a violation of their oath of office,” he said.

Following discussions with the NAACP last month,

. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will now handle investigations into all in-custody deaths—a shift from the previous practice of internal investigations by the sheriff’s office.