Fulton jail overcrowding: Commissioner board approves controversial plan

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Fulton County Jail (FOX 5)

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A plan to reduce overcrowding at Fulton County’s Rice Street Jail, approved by the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday morning, has blindsided some Fulton County officials.

What we know:

Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Rob Pitts introduced the reduction initiative, which uses a five-point plan to reduce the inmate population by about 1,000, at the board meeting.

The plan calls for accessing inmates already at the jail to send them to a new diversion center as a "second-chance" for nonviolent offenders, using ankle monitors more often, and notifying offenders of court dates through test messages.

Pitt said his plan would not require additional funds, because the funding is already in the sheriff’s office budget.

Additional parts of the plan included expediting inmates on hold for other jails. 

What they're saying:

Despite opposition from other commissioners, including Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., who said he was not notified of the plan before it was announced at the meeting and acknowledged there is already a diversion program in Fulton County, the reduction passed by a 4-3 vote.

Commissioner Arrington also said there were no documents detailing the reduction plan in the agenda. Other commissioners, including Commissioner Dana Barrett, agreed with Arrington’s statements.

"This is ridiculous. It’s preposterous," Arrington said.  

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said his office had no prior notification of the plan before the commissioner meeting.

"The reality is that procedures have already been implemented to address this issue, including the creation of an Inmate Advocacy Unit that reviews thousands of cases to identify individuals eligible for release or transfer," Sheriff Labat said.  

What we don't know:

It is unclear when the plan will start being implemented.