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Advocates warn council lease of Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County remains risky after DOJ findings; SB7 could alter lease rules
Summary
A civil‑rights attorney and advocates warned the committee that the 2022 lease of Atlanta City Detention Center beds to Fulton County remains underutilized and subject to federal findings; they said legislation (Senate Bill 7) could change how the county uses the facility and invited the council to participate in public assemblies.
Devin Franklin, senior movement policy counsel for the Southern Center for Human Rights, told the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee that the 2022 intergovernmental agreement leasing up to 700 beds in the Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC) to Fulton County has not been fully used and that recent federal findings raise concerns about continuing the arrangement.
Franklin said, “of those 700 beds, only 329 are currently being occupied. There is only an operational capacity of 500 people due to the staffing issues that we had previously warned you all of.” He said the U.S. Department of Justice investigated Fulton County Jail and issued a findings report in November of last year and a consent decree in early January, and that some of the DOJ‑identified problems have “spread to the city of Atlanta Detention Center.”
Franklin also raised a legislative development: he said a bill introduced this session, identified in committee discussion as Senate Bill 7, would allow the Fulton County sheriff to request use of the Atlanta City Detention Facility in a way that could invalidate the current lease agreement. Committee members noted the bill was sponsored by state senators outside the Atlanta delegation and would require the regular legislative crossover process to move between chambers.
Councilmember Antonio Lewis said he opposed the original 2022 lease and expects to work on legislation to preserve the city’s separate authority over the ACDC. Councilmember Isha Collins asked for clarity on who introduced SB7; Franklin said it involved state senators including Senator Albers and Senator Robinson as discussed in the meeting.
Franklin announced a public series of assemblies and a “people’s process” reporting event scheduled for Feb. 18; he provided committee members a copy of a letter and physical materials describing the process.
What this means: Advocates told the committee the leased beds are underused because of staffing limits in Fulton County and that federal enforcement actions raise questions about relying on the county to operate detainee housing. The introduction of SB7, if enacted, could change the legal framework for how the county requests use of the city facility. Council members signaled interest in monitoring the DOJ report, the consent decree, and any state legislation that would affect the lease.
