Mayor-appointed Task Force to Propose Jail Repurposing
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces the members of the Reimagining Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC) Task Force. The Task Force is charged with evaluating a use for the Detention Center that could benefit the entire community.
It is a top priority of the Mayor Bottoms to put this underutilized facility to more productive use as a multi-faceted use center for wellness and healing, skills-building, economic mobility, and crime prevention for people, families and communities impacted by the history of over-incarceration. By converting this space, the City of Atlanta seeks to invest in people to break the cycle of poverty while at the same time improving public safety in Atlanta through restorative practices and opportunities that reduce recidivism and re-build lives
“This fight for equity extends far beyond the physical walls of the Atlanta City Detention Center,” said Mayor Bottoms. “This Task Force reflects strong local leadership, willing to help us progress towards a safer, and just city. It is my hope this building will serve as an epicenter for resources, education, and training for the community. With the help of these members, I am optimistic that what is reimagined will be the future of One Atlanta.”
The Task Force consists of 25 members who will be joined by two appointees of the City Council, an advisory group membership of nine experts intimately involved with the work, and fourteen ex officio members who bring their trusted insight, expertise, and government service.
Mayor Bottoms’ appointments to the Atlanta City Detention Center Task Force are as follows:
Task Force Committee Members
Yussif Abubakar, Georgia Detention Watch
Attiyah Ali, A Loving Act Inc
Devin Barrington-Ward, Black Futurists Group
Antonio Brown, City of Atlanta (Appointed by the Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Legal Administration)
Jill Cartwright, Southerners On New Ground
Eugene Cooke, Grow Where You Are
Shan Cooper, Atlanta Committee for Progress
James Curran, Emory University
Scrapp DeLeon, Rapper & Actor
Derek Duncan, Trinity Community Ministries
Burrell Ellis, Attorney
Benjamin Graham, Motivation Forward Inc.
Shafeka Hashash, Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Alvin Kendall, Attorney
Kyle Kessler, Center for Civic Innovation
Amber Lawson, Aspire Construction and Real Estate Consulting
Steven Muhammad, City of Atlanta Resident
Adelina Nicholls, GA Latino Alliance for Human Rights
Alexis Rhodes, Millennials for Progress
Tiffany Roberts, Southern Center for Human Rights & the Progressive Atlanta Working Group Criminal Justice Task Force
T.I., Rapper & Actor
Rodney Turner, Mount Vernon Baptist Church
Sharon Turner, Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents
Gail Tusan, Fulton County Superior Court
Matthew Westmoreland, City of Atlanta (Appointed by the City Council President)
Toni-Michelle Williams, Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative
Elizabeth Wilson, Georgia Micro Enterprise Network
Task Force Ex Officio Committee Members
Raines Carter, City of Atlanta, Solicitor
Ken Days, City of Atlanta, Chief Public Defender
Jason Estevez, Atlanta Public Schools, Board of Education Chair
Keith Gammage, Fulton County, Solicitor General
Natalie Hall, Fulton County, Commissioner
Bill Hawthorne, City of Atlanta, Interim Chief Resilience Officer
Nina Hickson, City of Atlanta, City Attorney
Paul Howard, Jr., Fulton County, District Attorney
Tim Keane, City of Atlanta, Commissioner of City Planning
Patrick Labat, City of Atlanta, Office of Corrections Chief
Vernon Pitts, Fulton County, Public Defender
Christopher Portis, Municipal Court of Atlanta, Chief Judge
Erika Shields, City of Atlanta, Chief of Police
Joshua Williams, City of Atlanta, Chief Operating Officer
Task Force Advisory Committee Members
Xochitl Bervera, Racial Justice Action Center
Lindsay Caulfield, Grady Health System
David Dreyer, Georgia State Representative
Raphael Holloway, Gateway Center
Moki Macias, Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative
Bryant Marks, Morehouse College
Aaron Nicholson, Atlanta Police Foundation
Ashlee Starr, Partners for Home
Vassane Tinsley, DeKalb County School District
The Task Force members were chosen from over 100 volunteers who submitted their nominations from the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County, service providers, community organizations, residents, the academic community, the business community, the faith community, public safety representatives, and elected officials.
The first ACDC Taskforce meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, at 4-6:30 PM in the Old Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, Atlanta City Hall Tower, 68 Mitchell Street SW
The meeting will be open and accessible to the public and we welcome you to attend.
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