Troup County NAACP urges board to demand transparency after multiple in‑custody deaths

Glenn Dowell, education chair of the Troup County NAACP, told the Troup County Board of Commissioners on May 5 that the county has seen "seven plus deaths in custody" from 2023 through 2026 and urged officials to make investigations and fiscal records public.

Dowell framed his remarks as an "accountability briefing," saying his material came from local investigative reporting and listing concerns about deaths, inmate abuse complaints, staff misconduct and contraband. He singled out the case of Keith Hudgins, a 34‑year‑old held on misdemeanor charges who was found hanging and pronounced at Wellstar Jordan Medical Center; Dowell said a mandatory Georgia Bureau of Investigation review has not been publicly released.

"This is not an indictment against the jail or its operation or the sheriff," Dowell told commissioners, but he pressed for answers about screening and monitoring of detainees, asking whether misdemeanor detainees were evaluated for suicide risk and how frequently checks were performed. He recommended that citizens use Georgia open records requests, grievance logs and incident reports to pursue further information.

Dowell also raised fiscal questions about how jail spending is reported. Citing figures from published reporting, he said property taxes account for about 83.3% of county revenues and that roughly 47.39% of the public safety budget is tied to sheriff/jail functions. He argued there is insufficient public line‑item detail to determine whether funds reach medical care, training or security and urged the board to find lawful ways to provide clearer oversight.

The presentation closed with Dowell asking the board to consider structural changes in oversight while acknowledging the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Commissioners thanked Dowell and invited any community members who wanted further discussion to meet with sheriff's staff outside the chamber.