Georgia Senate report: 'Dysfunction' between agencies major cause of Fulton County Jail problems
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia Senate subcommittee investigating the problems at the Fulton County Jail has released its preliminary report and recommendations for the troubled jail.
The subcommittee was created by Senate Public Safety Committee Chairman John Albers in late 2023 to investigate issues at the jail after 10 inmates died in the building last year.
"To sum it up, there is plenty of blame to go around," chairman Sen. Randy Robertson exclaimed.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday after releasing the report, Albers said that the subcommittee has come up with 17 recommendations to better improve conditions at the jail.
"The primary Issue I think you will see in the recommendations is the dysfunction that exist between county agencies. The sheriff has to get along with the county commission, who has to get along with the judiciary, who hast to get along with the district attorney," Sen. Robertson spelled out.
One of the recommendations that Albers and other members of the subcommittee emphasized as extremely important was creating a better relationship between the sheriff's office, the district attorney's office, the county commission and the judiciary system.
"The sheriff has to get along with the county commission who has to get along with the judiciary who has to get along with the district attorney," subcommittee Chair Sen. Randy Robertson said.
Overcrowding is one of the most significant issues. Inmates are often forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of available beds, and personal space is virtually nonexistent, exacerbating stress and conflict within the population. The hygiene and sanitation standards at Fulton County Jail have also been widely criticized.
Albers said the jail has seen "substantial progress" on the issue since the subcommittee started meeting.
"Since the first meeting last fall there are 1,000 less inmates in the Fulton County Jail," he said.
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Senators call out "dysfunction" in Fulton County
Robertson said that, despite the attention on the jail, the situation was no different from what others in Georgia were facing.
"As unique as Atlanta and Fulton County likes to think it is, their county jail has the same issues that every county jail in the state of Georgia has," he said.
Instead, Robertson said that there was "plenty of blame to go around" when it came to the violence and overcrowding, pointing a lot of blame to "dysfunction" among the county's agencies,
Roberston argued that there were "breakdowns" in the system and said most of the blame came from the Fulton County judiciary and the office of District Attorney Fani Willis.
The senator said that the court system was "not working at 100%," which he called "unacceptable."
Despite the current issues, Robertson said that the district attorney's office has made little effort to expedite cases, leading to many inmates staying in custody for longer than they should.
"Cases are being moved entirely too slow," he said.
Atlanta City Detention Center
Mayor rejects request to lift inmate transfer cap
In a letter, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he would not be increasing the cap of how many inmates the Atlanta City Detention Center could take from the Fulton County Jail. Fulton County made the request as they're trying to get 1,000 inmates from the overcrowded facility to other locations. Fulton County leadership said the rejection does not mean the city is closing the door on that option. FOX 5 took a closer look.
The subcommittee report also called on the city of Atlanta to turn over the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County immediately.
In 2019, then-Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced her plans to close the detention center with plans to make the area a community resource center or mixed-used site.
Since then, the city has agreed to lease a portion of the building to Fulton County to help with overcrowding. According to their agreement, Fulton County could transfer up to 700 inmates from their jail to the ACDC, but only those inmates who meet certain criteria.
"Anyone that thinks it's going to be a community center one day I think is seriously on the wrong track right now," Albers said. "It was designed and built to be a jail, and having a newer building and facility that can be leveraged to the fullest extent - not just partially as it is today - is certainly part of the right answer."
Fulton County officials respond to Senate report
Fulton county commission chairman Robb Pitts released a statement saying the board of commissioners adopted a plan for renovation of the Fulton County jail. He also says the board has invested $13.3 million in renovations and repairs to housing units, with 70% of that work already completed.
"Several of the Committee’s recommendations are already in progress," Pitts said.
According to Pitts, the county shared a number of its own recommendations with the committee in May, which included funding three additional Superior Court judges and their staff, passing statewide Case Management Standards, increasing state funding for behavorial health beds.
Pitts said that the county has taken "particular note" of the recommendation for the Atlanta City Detention Center.
"Fulton County has pursued the acquisition of that facility for more than a decade and has been repeatedly rebuffed in those efforts," he said.
The sheriff, who has advocated for a replacement facility to change the culture, says he welcomed the extra eyes.
"We have been very intentional about how we create a more humane environment. As I have said from Day one, 3-and-a-half years ago, our jail was overcrowded when we took office," Sheriff Labot replied.
Violence at the Fulton County Jail
Sheriff says Fulton County Jail being weaponized
Two days after the Fulton County Commission voted 4-3 to renovate the current Fulton County Jail, dropping plans to build a new facility to the tune of $2 billion, Sheriff Pat Labat gave his reaction saying it was like putting a "band-aid on open-heart surgery."
In 2024, there will have been at least three deaths at the jail. Fulton County Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat told FOX 5 there have been at least 10 stabbings at the prison since the beginning of June.
The sheriff says since 2022, his team has found more than 4,000 homemade weapons that were created from light fixtures and other jail infrastructure.
Labat has been pushing for a brand-new facility. However, the Fulton County Commission voted in July to spend $300 million on renovations to the jail instead of the estimated $2 billion to replace the jail - a plan the sheriff compared to putting a "Band-Aid on open-heart surgery."
The Department of Justice announced last year that they were launching an investigation into the jail. Three Georgia Democratic lawmakers sent a joint letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland in February to demand that the investigation be made a priority.
Another investigative subcommittee is expected to start work in the near future.
Full statement from Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts
Fulton County has reviewed the final report and recommendations of the Special Committee on the Fulton County Jail.
In May, we shared a number of recommendations with the Committee that would bring meaningful change to our justice system, including:
• Increasing state funding for behavioral health beds (DBHDD Bed Study)
• Funding the addition of three Superior Court judges and staff
• Passing statewide Case Management Standards
• Exploring the transfer of available jail facilities to the County
We have also noted that several of the Committee’s recommendations are already in progress.
Last month the Board of Commissioners adopted a plan for renovation of the Fulton County Jail and work is proceeding. The plan includes evaluation of a possible special use facility to specifically address the needs of people with mental health issues.
In 2024, the Board has already invested $13.3 million in renovations and repairs to housing units, with 70% of that work complete. Just this month the Board approved an additional $3.2 million for upgrades at the Jail including kitchen equipment, elevators, fire alarms and others.
We took particular note of the recommendation for the City of Atlanta to provide the Atlanta City Detention Center, since Fulton County has pursued the acquisition of that facility for more than a decade and has been repeatedly rebuffed in those efforts.
On July 10, the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution requiring all constitutional officers, including the Sheriff, to follow Fulton County Purchasing Policies.
We look forward to collaborating with the General Assembly during the 2025 session to implement these solutions.