Atlanta Corrections seeks $27.9M in FY26 budget as jail operations expand with Fulton County agreement

The Atlanta Department of Corrections (ACDC) presented its FY26 proposed budget to the City Council, outlining a roughly $27.9 million request that officials said would fund personnel, technology upgrades, maintenance and compliance work tied to rising facility use and operational demands.

Chief of Corrections Elder Dancy told council members the FY26 request represents a 7.6 percent variance against the department’s FY25 projection and that personnel services and employee benefits account for the largest share of the increase. “This will help right‑size our personnel to the current spending level,” Dancy said.

Dancy described a string of operational improvements in FY25: conversion of the jail’s closed‑circuit television from analog to digital, outfitting ACDC officers with body‑worn cameras, equipping vans and buses with in‑car video, and installing an X‑ray scanner at the loading dock. He also said the department and partners implemented remote electronic bonding and that the Fulton County diversion center opened in January, giving officers an alternative to arrest for some low‑level incidents.

Officials noted the city operates the facility and provides facility maintenance. ACDC is operating under a four‑year intergovernmental agreement with Fulton County that began December 2022 and runs through December 2026; that agreement allows Fulton County to use up to 700 beds at ACDC. Since the agreement began, the department said Fulton County detainees have averaged about 355 daily; as of the presentation the department recorded 373 Fulton County detainees in custody. Finance staff estimated Fulton County payments to the city at roughly $7–8 million for FY26, reconciled monthly on occupancy.

Dancy said the department’s headcount snapshot as of February showed 222 authorized positions across the general fund with 135 sworn positions and 50 civilian filled positions, plus vacancies (19 sworn and 22 civilian). He and deputy staff emphasized that the corrections hiring and training timeline differs from other public safety trades: state jail certification is followed by department internal training; the presentation described the state academy as roughly two weeks and an internal training period of six to eight weeks, with a one‑year probationary period.

Councilmembers pressed on overtime and extra‑help expenses. Finance staff and the chief said the department has reduced overtime from levels seen in FY24; ACDC reported overtime spending around $2.2 million in FY24 and a projected $1.5 million in the current fiscal year. The chief said that unpredictable demands—transports to Grady Memorial Hospital, medical holds and surge events—contribute to overtime use, and he noted a newly executed contract security supplement at Grady that the department expects will reduce some staffing pressure.

The presentation also described accreditation and compliance work: ACDC is budgeting for American Correctional Association (ACA) reaccreditation and for Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) enhancements, including installation of body scanners at the main entrance and intake to strengthen perimeter security. The department said those steps and other investments are intended to “avoid … negative exposure,” including investigations and findings of deficiencies.

Councilmembers asked for additional information: receipts from Fulton County over the prior year, more detail on overtime drivers, and clarification of which positions in the headcount are fully funded versus authorized but unfunded. Finance staff agreed to provide receivable detail and to continue working with the department to reconcile vacancies, funding status and staffing plans.

Chief Dancy closed by thanking department staff and noting Corrections Week activities scheduled during the presentation week; he invited council to participate in recognition events.