A Georgia Senate committee has suggested that better cooperation among county officials could enhance conditions in Fulton County’s jail. The committee also recommended that the city of Atlanta hand over its former jail to the county for prisoner housing.
The committee was established last year to assess conditions in the jail following a significant increase in the already overcrowded population and a series of inmate deaths that garnered attention. The U.S. Department of Justice initiated a civil rights investigation due to ongoing issues.
Violence, unsanitary conditions, and the death of Lashawn Thompson in September 2022 were among the concerns highlighted by the Justice Department. Thompson, 35, passed away in a cell infested with bedbugs in the jail’s psychiatric wing.
In August 2023, former President Donald Trump visited the Fulton County Jail to undergo booking and have the first-ever mug shot taken of a former president, following indictments related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
The inmate population in the main jail has dropped from almost 2,600 a year ago to just over 1,600 presently, though the overall number of prisoners in the county has not decreased as significantly, currently accommodating approximately 400 prisoners daily at a section of the Atlanta City Detention Center.
Although the primary purpose of such committees is typically to draft legislation, it remains uncertain if this will occur in this instance. Senate Public Safety Committee Chairman John Albers mentioned that most of the issues in the report could be resolved through operational improvements and collaboration among stakeholders.
Instead of immediate legislative action, Albers and subcommittee chair Randy Robertson urged Fulton County’s sheriff, commissioners, district attorney, and judges to enhance cooperation to address jail-related issues and expedite trials.
The report also shed light on conflicts between Sheriff Pat Labat and county commissioners, describing their relationship as strained, unprofessional, and falling short of citizens’ expectations.
Sheriff-commissioner disputes are common in Georgia, often revolving around funding disagreements and oversight of spending. In Fulton County, controversies have arisen over Labat’s proposal for a $1.7 billion new jail, while commissioners favored a $300 million project to renovate the existing jail and construct a special needs facility.
Fulton County Commissioners voted against a new jail, with a preference for refurbishing the current facility. Meanwhile, the city of Atlanta, having closed its detention center in 2019 for transformation into a “Center for Equity,” has declined the county’s offers to purchase the jail for additional prisoner housing.
The committee suggested that transferring the jail to the county could be part of a viable solution. However, Labat expressed skepticism regarding Atlanta’s willingness to hand over its 1,300-bed jail to Fulton County.
Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts emphasized the need for more judges and facilities to address mental health issues. He expressed readiness to collaborate with lawmakers to address the challenges faced by the county jail system.
