Voters in Fulton County will hit the polls on May 21 to choose a sheriff at a time when county officials are wrestling with overcrowding and poor conditions at jails — especially at the notorious Rice Street Jail, where 10 people died in custody last year and three have died so far this year. One […]
Fulton County Jail
Posted inPolicing
3 Key Takeaways from the ACLU’s Fulton Sheriff’s Town Hall
As the top law enforcement officer in the county, the Fulton County sheriff plays a vital role by operating the county’s jails, providing security to the courts and superior court judges, and managing a $146 million budget, among other duties. However, polling done by the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia shows that Fulton voters […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Federal Judge Rules Fulton Sheriff Did Not Comply With Court Settlement
A federal magistrate judge has ruled that Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat failed to comply with the requirements of a 2022 settlement agreement with some women incarcerated under his jurisdiction. Now both sides are waiting for an appeals court to determine what happens next. The agreement resulted from a 2019 class-action lawsuit filed on behalf […]
Posted inCity Politics
What Would Atlanta Teens Do If We Gave Them $790 Million to Spend on the Budget?
Budget season in Atlanta is nearing the home stretch. Before the City Council and Mayor Andre Dickens approve and sign off on the record-setting $790 million general fund tab, we had one question: What would local teens do with that money? After all, Dickens dubbed 2023 the “Year of the Youth,” launching an initiative in […]
Posted inIncarceration
What Killed Lashawn Thompson?
On Monday, Karo Thompson stood on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol speaking about his nephew, who died while incarcerated at Fulton County Jail. “Every person that was put in office, raised their right hand, they swore an oath to uphold their duties and responsibility,” he said, at the family’s press conference revealing the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Fulton Jail Study Will Continue as Planned
The Justice Policy Board — a group of city and county leaders working with local organizations to develop arrest and incarceration diversion resources — will have to finish its jail population review before Fulton County is allowed to begin moving inmates into the Atlanta City Detention Center. By a vote of 9-5, the Atlanta City […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Fulton Jail Study Could be Sidestepped by City Council
There is a new development in the proposed plan to lease space in the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County. The Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee voted to introduce legislation that would repeal an amendment requiring a jail population review before the agreement can go into effect. When the City Council voted to […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Why Does Atlanta Want to Lease Its Jail to Fulton County?
As local leaders and criminal justice advocates eagerly await the results of a Fulton County Jail inmate population study expected to be released this month, Atlanta’s recent decision to lease jail space to the county has drawn accusations of increasing mass incarceration. In August, the conversation around overcrowding in metro jails got contentious when the […]