Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee backs bill to expand Fulton County access to Atlanta detention center amid concerns about staffing, maintenance and costs
Summary
The Senate Public Safety Committee advanced Senate Bill 7, a proposal to expand Fulton County’s use of the Atlanta City Detention Center, after a hearing that highlighted operational differences between ACDC and the older Rice Street jail and raised concerns about staffing, maintenance and costs.
The Senate Public Safety Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 7 after a lengthy hearing that centered on whether giving Fulton County greater access to the Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC) would help or worsen documented problems at the county jail.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat (referred to in testimony as "the sheriff") told the committee the county faces operational, staffing and facility limitations at the Rice Street jail and argued the ACDC asset could be used to better separate mental-health populations and improve conditions. "We don't have problems at Fulton County. We have opportunities," the sheriff said, and described ACDC as a facility designed for direct supervision and with infrastructure better suited to some detainee populations.
City officials, represented by the Atlanta Law Department, said the bill as written could undercut the city's…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
