Mayor approves order to close Atlanta city jail

Image 1 of 25

▼

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has officially signed legislation to close the Atlanta City Detention Center.

The Atlanta City Council approved the mayor's plan last week.

Mayor Bottoms has cited the declining number of inmates and the increased operating costs as the reason for closing the jail.

Tuesday, the mayor was surrounded by community members, city leaders, and criminal justice advocacy groups as she signed the legislation.

The mayor stresses this is not a move to be soft on crime.

Mayor Bottoms said the city has begun transitioning some of the corrections staff into other areas in the city.