Council member seeks apology over Atlanta detention center

ATLANTA - Community advocates are renewing calls to transform the Atlanta City Detention Center as city leaders consider selling the facility to Fulton County.

What we know:

Atlanta City Council member Kelsea Bond introduced a resolution calling for the city to apologize to Atlanta residents and members of the task force formed to reimagine the detention center.

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The resolution claims city leaders failed to implement the community’s 2020 vision for the facility, wasted public money and did not provide enough transparency. It also criticizes the city’s response to deaths inside the detention center.

Advocates oppose proposed sale

What they're saying:

Supporters of the original plan want the jail converted into the Center for Equity, Wellness and Freedom, which was envisioned as a community resource offering health, wellness and support services.

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Advocates said the proposed sale would abandon that commitment and continue a pattern of excluding marginalized communities from major decisions.

The city has agreed to move forward with Fulton County’s proposed $68 million purchase of the detention center. The deal still requires approval from the Atlanta City Council and Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

Fulton County has leased space at the detention center since 2022 to help relieve overcrowding at its main jail on Rice Street. That agreement is scheduled to expire later this year.