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County officials press state and federal partners as jail crowding, costs persist
Summary
During its July 1 meeting the Cobb County Legislative Body heard updates from the county mayor, attorney general and sheriff about efforts to secure federal and state support to address jail overcrowding, ongoing out‑of‑county inmate housing and the multi‑year timeline and budget implications for a new justice center.
Cobb County Legislative Body members on July 1 discussed ongoing efforts to resolve a jail-capacity crisis that officials say is forcing the county to house inmates out of area and causing significant operating costs.
The most immediate problem, county officials said, is that the county is housing 88 inmates in a 52‑bed facility in Harrison County while pursuing approval and funding for a larger certified jail. “We’re housing 88 bed 88 inmates and a 52 bed jail in Harrison County. And that’s completely unacceptable,” said the Sheriff (name not provided).
County Mayor Mathis told the CLB the county has engaged the state attorney general’s office and federal representatives and is seeking FEMA review and approval of funds tied to flood‑related damage that the county hopes will be applied to replacement facilities. “We’ve enlisted five members of Congress, our two senators, all representatives … to help us engage FEMA,” Mayor Mathis said. Attorney General Dunn confirmed continued outreach to state and federal officials and emphasized the need to secure the correct bed count and funding language in those appeals.
Why it matters: officials said continuing to house inmates out of county is costly—Mathis estimated roughly $2,000,000 in excess costs per year—and that a certified local jail will take multiple years to plan and build. County leaders said the state has indicated a roughly 216‑bed standard for a certified facility. Sheriff and mayor said the county is pursuing a multi‑source funding approach that could include FEMA reimbursements, governor’s relief funds and redirected ARPA operating allocations.
Discussion vs. decision: the meeting recorded briefings and questions from CLB members but did not adopt a new funding or construction resolution. Commissioners pressed for a long‑range plan and details about funding sources and timelines; officials responded that design, bidding and construction could take two to four years depending on approvals and contractor schedules. Mayor Mathis said plans include site selection the county already owns, designing expandable “pod” capacity and reserving several years of ARPA or equivalent funds to cover out‑year operating costs while construction proceeds.
Officials cited examples of recent large county jails to illustrate scale and cost uncertainty; Mathis and the sheriff mentioned Hamilton County and Sullivan County projects and figures discussed in the meeting but did not propose a dollar‑value appropriation at the session. Attorney General Dunn and the mayor said they are continuing discussions with FEMA and the governor’s office and will report back when grants or approvals advance.
Ending: County leaders reiterated they will continue to press state and federal partners and to bring updated financing or project proposals to the CLB when specific funding commitments or project designs are ready for formal action.
