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Fulton County officials report jail population rise, longer stays and progress on Rice Street "blitz"
Summary
County staff reported a rise in jail bookings and longer average stays in April, described progress on the Rice Street maintenance "blitz," and discussed limits of electronic monitoring and diversion programs as officials pressed for more data on who is eligible for ankle monitors and diversion.
Fulton County officials reported an uptick in jail bookings and longer average stays at the county jail during the Board of Commissioners’ April 16 meeting, and managers outlined ongoing maintenance work aimed at returning hundreds of beds to service.
County strategy staff said the average length of stay for the jail population rose “to 47 days,” while a one‑day snapshot of currently incarcerated people showed an average duration of about 222 days as of April 11. Commissioners pressed staff on how the numbers were calculated and asked for regular trend charts to help track progress.
Why it matters: Commissioners cited public‑safety and budget implications tied to higher jail populations and to people waiting in intake because housing beds are unavailable. County managers said returning beds to service and improving diversion are essential to easing pressure on the jail system.
The report: Steve Naraki, deputy director in the county’s strategy office, walked commissioners through the justice system scorecard. He told the board the county had resumed automated reporting of its unindicted population and that the unindicted share of the jail population was 18 percent for March 2025. Naraki also said…
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