Fulton County commissioners were told Wednesday that the county jail population has climbed above 3,000 and that the diversion center intended to reduce bookings is serving far fewer people than projected.

County Manager (title not specified) and Steve Nirocki, director of strategy, told the Board that a one‑day snapshot on Oct. 6 showed 3,032 inmates and that the average length of stay had increased to about 202 days. Nirocki said the unindicted population improved to about 18 percent, but added, "we remain concerned about the jail population. It is above 3,000 now."

The report also showed usage figures for the new diversion center, operated by Grady: 104 diversions in September, with Atlanta accounting for 73 (about 70 percent) of those referrals. Nirocki said the center's average daily census has fluctuated month to month and is currently low — an average daily census of three in September — which the county manager and commissioners called well below expectations for the facility.

Commissioners pressed staff for context. Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. asked whether the goals used on the justice scorecard — including a goal of disposing 90 percent of felony cases within 180 days — were realistic; Nirocki said the goals are based on national/state court standards and a May 2023 baseline established by a board resolution. Commissioners also sought more detailed diversion metrics, such as the number of arrests per jurisdiction and how many of those arrests were eligible for or referred to diversion, so they could target outreach and evaluate value.

Public safety staff described operational steps at the jail. Joe Davis, who leads jail maintenance and operations reporting to the county, gave an update on the jail blitz program: "We are 82% complete," he said, adding crews are finishing work on several housing units and expect phase 1 of the blitz to be complete in mid‑November. Davis said 545 beds were offline at Rice Street for blitz activity, maintenance and repairs, and reported that corrective maintenance work orders in September were completed at an 85–88 percent rate depending on cutoffs used.

Davis outlined process changes intended to reduce the maintenance backlog, including allowing sheriff's office staff to enter work orders directly into the county's Maximo maintenance system and bringing in additional technicians and outside plumbing support from county standby vendors. He said the county's goal is to reduce the open work‑order backlog to fewer than 500 by the end of the year.

Commissioners and staff also discussed the county's ankle‑monitor program, which had 642 participants as of Sept. 29, and efforts to increase bed availability while major repairs and renovations proceed. County officials noted that a recent pipe burst had affected the jail's camera system and that elevator modernization and other infrastructure projects are under procurement.

Why it matters: Fulton County's jail crowding and slow case throughput are drivers of county costs and public safety concern. Commissioners said they want more granular diversion and arrest data from cities and law enforcement partners to determine whether the diversion center is being used effectively and whether additional outreach or operational changes would increase transfers out of the jail system.

Commissioner Khadija Abdul Rahman, who sits on the Justice Policy Review Board, urged colleagues to give the diversion program time and to support ongoing outreach: "Educate, educate, educate," she said, describing culture change among police officers as a key barrier to increasing diversions. Other commissioners said they want extra data — such as how many unique officers are referring cases and the percentage of eligible arrests diverted — before deciding whether to change course.

The county manager and jail leadership said staff will return with additional context and recommended metrics, and commissioners requested more targeted reports on referrals by city, charge type and officer participation to assess whether the diversion center's staffing and budget match actual use.

Ending: Officials said they will continue the monthly operational briefings, provide a more detailed arrest‑versus‑diversion analysis and report on the final phase of the blitz work and maintenance staffing progress in upcoming meetings.