Atlanta City Council committee delays resolution on relocating Fulton County inmates
City council call for inmates to return to Fulton Co. Jail
The Atlanta City Council has introduced a resolution that could force Fulton County to look for a new place to jail people. In 2022, Atlanta and Fulton officials struck a four-year agreement for the county to lease 700 beds at the Atlanta City Detention Center. But at least three council members say it is time to talk exit strategies.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - The Atlanta City Council Public Safety Committee has voted to hold a resolution aimed at initiating an exit strategy for removing Fulton County inmates from the city jail.
The temporary agreement, which began in 2022, is set to expire in November 2026.
The backstory:
The agreement allowed Fulton County to use up to 700 beds. It began during the overcrowding crisis where many inmates were sleeping in boats on the floor.
The resolution cites the death of 14 inmates while in Fulton County custody in 2022, and two additional deaths at the Atlanta City Detention Center, which Lewis said had never happened before.
What they're saying:
Fulton County director of external affairs Jessica Corbett says the county will need the city beds as it renovates the jail under the court-ordered consent decree.
"We, as a community, are still looking to have ACDC repurposed to serve as a social services hub for the city and for the county," said Roberta Myers Douglas from the Legal Action Center.
An attorney for the Southern Center for Human Rights also supported the resolution.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Protctor interviewed a spokesperson for Fulton County as well as Roberta Myers Douglas from the Legal Action Center for this article.