COCHRAN, Ga. — As the Department of Justice's investigation continues, more suicides and murders are happening within Georgia's prison.
The federal government launched an investigation in fall of 2021 into dangerous conditions inside the prisons.
A continuing problem for federal investigators, families of deceased prisoners, and the media--getting answers on hundreds of deaths in those prisons.
One of the most recent deaths, a Cochran man, Maurice Terrell Jenkins, found dead in Coastal State Prison last week.
We still don't have many answers from state authorities on how Jenkins died.
Up until Monday afternoon, the Department of Corrections wouldn't confirm any details and told us via email that it was up to the family to release information. But it was Jenkins' sister who asked us for help trying to find out how her brother died in state custody.
Now, the state says they're investigating his death as an alleged suicide.
"He told me out of his own mouth, he had several attempts on his life in several different ways. If something happens to him, they killed him. He told me they have done it before [to others] and covered it up as a suicide," said Charita Jenkins, Maurice Jenkins' sister.
She says she was in shock Wednesday morning when she received this text from an inmate in the prison. The inmate text her to check on her brother and stated he heard Jenkins allegedly hung himself two hours earlier.
Jenkins says she immediately started driving to the prison and calling to get answers.
"No one answered," Jenkins said.
Jenkins claims hours passed and that no one from the prison told her until an employee, who stated he was the warden, walked out and confirmed.
"He had served nine of 12 years. He already had a plan to come home," Jenkins said.
Jenkins says authorities refused to let her see her brother's body until Friday, two days after he died. She claims he looked as though he'd been beaten and suffered from malnutrition.
"Just to see his face. His lips were swollen like someone had punched him in the mouth," Jenkins said.
Jenkins says she believes her brother was murdered.
Again, the prison says they suspect he died from suicide, but the coroner's office is still investigating.
The Georgia Department of Corrections says 86 prisoners have died this year in state custody-- that includes homicides, suicides, and natural causes.
Federal investigators say Georgia prisons have some of the nation's highest rates for both homicides and suicides.
They say low staffing in those prisons has led to dangerous conditions and lack of supervision.
Senator Jon Ossoff told 13WMAZ Monday the federal investigation is continuing, and last week, he introduced a new inquiry on the Senate floor focused on conditions in Georgia's prisons and jails.