In Atlanta, some security officers at a jail decided to leave their posts after the Fulton County sheriff’s office failed to settle a debt with a third-party contractor responsible for their employment, as per the sheriff’s office. The office stated that it was experiencing a significant budget shortfall and owed over $1 million to Strategic Security Corp. With the contract terminated, the security officers were instructed not to return to work at the jail after being clocked out at 2:15 p.m.
The sheriff’s office highlighted an urgent safety concern at the county’s main jail due to the departure of 17 contract officers, 13 located in Atlanta’s main jail and four in the south annex in Union City. To address staffing shortages, employees from various divisions were dispatched to work at the jail. A total of 74 contractors were typically on rotation to cover the three shifts within a 24-hour period.
In response to the situation, Sheriff Pat Labat revealed that around 50 of the contract security officers arrived at the jail that evening and were offered provisional employment. Following paperwork completion, some were able to start work immediately. The U.S. Department of Justice initiated a civil rights investigation last year into jail conditions in the county, pointing out issues like violence and unsanitary conditions, particularly referencing the tragic September 2022 passing of Lashawn Thompson in a bedbug-infested cell in the jail’s psychiatric wing.
A state legislative committee formed in the previous year to examine jail conditions recently emphasized the necessity for improved cooperation among top county officials. Labat has voiced concerns about the jail’s state and advocated for a new $1.7 billion facility to replace the deteriorating main jail on Rice Street. Nevertheless, in a 4-3 vote in July, county commissioners opted for a $300 million initiative to renovate the existing jail and construct a new structure for inmates with special requirements.
