Georgia inmate George Luckett has filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Corrections, alleging a severe lack of medical care and negligence following a brutal assault at Smith State Prison. The lawsuit details claims of unsafe conditions that allowed the violence to occur and contends that prison staff left him in solitary confinement for months without adequate treatment.
Named in the 169-page complaint are key figures within the Department of Corrections, including Commissioner Tyrone Oliver and various prison administrators. Luckett is asserting his rights were violated, citing unsafe prison conditions, deliberate indifference to medical needs, and cruel and unusual punishment.
Luckett has been serving a sentence for armed robbery since 2009. The incident that triggered the lawsuit occurred on April 28, 2023, when he and two other inmates were ambushed by a group wielding makeshift weapons fashioned from debris within the aging facility. Luckett sustained 14 stab wounds, suffered significant facial injuries, and was left without immediate medical intervention for crucial minutes, even as he bled profusely.
The suit describes a 30- to 35-minute wait for medical assistance, during which Luckett’s life-threatening injuries went untreated. He eventually received care only when first responders arrived, yet his condition reportedly worsened during hospitalization. Upon his return to Smith State Prison, Luckett was placed in solitary confinement and received no follow-up medical care until nearly three weeks later, despite visible complications from his injuries.
The allegations highlight a pattern of negligence by prison officials, detailing a history of violence at Smith State Prison. Between 2020 and 2023, at least 17 homicides have been reported within the facility, raising questions about the management and safety protocols in place. Luckett’s lawsuit takes aim at a series of prior incidents leading up to his attack, where similar assaults occurred without subsequent investigation or improved safety measures.
Adding to the troubling narrative, the lawsuit claims that GDC officials misrepresented the nature of the violence, asserting no weapons were used despite the evidence of makeshift blades employed in Luckett’s attack. The suit also includes claims of unrelenting indifference from staff members, who allegedly downplayed the dangers inmates faced.
Former Warden Brian Adams, though no longer employed at the time of the attack, is named in the suit for his previous management, which Luckett claims exacerbated unsafe conditions through lax security and inadequate oversight. The complaint argues that Adams’ legacy of mismanagement contributed significantly to the environment that allowed the attack on Luckett to occur.
In light of the events that unfolded, Luckett is seeking monetary damages, with a request for $1 million noted in pre-filing notifications to the state. The case seeks a jury trial, emphasizing the ongoing struggles for accountability within the corrections system in Georgia. As the lawsuit progresses, it sheds light on broader concerns about inmate safety and the responsibilities of correctional facilities to provide a secure environment for those in their custody.