FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A $1.1 billion capital improvement project to renovate the Fulton County Jail and add a new special-purpose building was approved by the Fulton County Commission.
What we know:
Fulton commissioners voted 4-1 to create a special-purpose facility that will house around 600 inmates who have mental health and medical needs and renovate the current Rice Street jail.
Chairman Robert Pitts says a national consulting firm helped to create this plan.
The new special-purpose facility for mental health and medical needs will be constructed on the Rice Street property.
The facility would take 5 years to build. The renovations to the Rice Street jail would happen after that.
Sheriff Patrick Labat wanted a new jail, but Pitts says the county could not afford a new jail and this plan will save taxpayers money.
What they're saying:
"We are going to begin with the construction of the special-purpose facility, and the reason for that is, in addition to addressing mental health needs, it will also be used to house inmates while construction is taking place," Pitts said. "We will use this facility to house inmates. Right now, we are paying Cobb County and other jails for outsourcing our inmates, so this will save taxpayers money."
The other side:
Commissioner Mo Ivory voted against the measure because she said funding had not been solidified.
"That's one of the problems here. We do fake numbers and then deal with the crisis when it comes. We may have a reduction in pension, there is no sound financial plan here," said Commissioner Mo Ivory. "I just cannot support something that I have no idea how it will get funded. To say that we are going to fund this project with a one-sheet explanation of funding, that is dependent on things that might happen. I don’t know how that is any kind of sound financial plan."
Commissioner Ivory also predicted a mileage rate increase is coming.
Timeline:
According to county documents, procurement for the new medical and mental health building is expected to begin in 2026, with completion in 2028. Renovations to the main Rice Street facility would begin in 2029 and wrap up by 2034.
The backstory:
The Fulton County Jail has come under fire in recent years for severe overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure and unsafe conditions.
Federal investigators say inmates are frequently exposed to violence, unsanitary living spaces, inadequate medical and mental-health care and excessive uses of force by staff.
More than 30 people have died in county custody since 2021, prompting lawsuits, public outcry and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that found the jail to be in violation of inmates’ constitutional rights.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat has pushed for a brand-new jail in the past, but that request was denied. Instead, commissioners previously voted to spend $300 million renovating the existing jail facilities.
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor speaking with commissioners and past reporting by FOX 5.