Supreme Court ruling on homelessness worsens Fulton County Jail overcrowding, advocates say

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Advocates for homeless people say a new law and a Supreme Court ruling are making overcrowding at the Fulton County Jail even worse.

Senate Bill 63 mandated a cash bond to get out of jail for criminal trespassing, and the US Supreme Court recently ruled governments can ban sleeping in public places.

Advocates say the combined policies mean more homeless people will end up at the Fulton County Jail, which could lead to overcrowding the already over-burdened facility.

"It’s almost a perfect storm of bad circumstances," said Devin Franklin of the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Fulton County Jail

If you can afford to post bail, you can get out of jail. But if not, Devin Franklin says you're stuck.

"It puts a target on the backs of our unhoused neighbors," he explained. "These people are effectively going to be trapped inside of Rice Street."

Right now, Fulton County Jail is holding more than 180 people who say they’re homeless.

The City of Atlanta has cracked down on homeless encampments after a number of fires, burned bridges and threatened neighboring buildings.

"They have to go somewhere," said Terry Tucker, the Chief Executive Officer of the nonprofit crisis intervention group Frontline Response. "The somewhere is usually to a jail facility."

Tucker told FOX 5 Atlanta he would like to see municipalities strike a balance between public safety and meeting the complex needs of unhoused people to keep them off the streets and out of jail.

"A homeless diversion place, to give somebody an alternative before they hit that spot in jail," he explained.

FOX 5 Atlanta reached out to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. A spokesperson said they could not comment on Thursday, but released the following statement:

"We are still meeting internally and with our partners to discuss the impact of the legislation."