One year after the Senate Committee on Public Safety chaired by Majority Whip Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) held a series of meeting regarding conditions at the beleaguered Fulton County Jail and six months after the U.S. Department of Justice issued an official and scathing report regarding the conditions at the jail, the Fulton County Commission is issuing an update on improvement plans.
On Wednesday, May 7, County Commissioners approved an overtime budget for corrections officers following a report by the Department of Justice that resulted in a consent decree.
“Everyone saw the horrific pictures and the terrible conditions under which he died,” said Commissioner Dana Barrett, who represents District 3 of Fulton County.
Commissioner Barrett is referring to the death of Lashawn Thompson, which is spurning an investigation into the Fulton County jail by the Department of Justice, leading to a lengthy report about its poor conditions. The result: a decree of consent, where the county and sheriff’s office work with the DOJ to improve the jail.
County and jail officials are now focused on long-term solutions to prevent delays and keep jail numbers down. Key initiatives include a new Diversion Center to provide alternatives to incarceration, subsidized ankle monitors for eligible individuals, enhancements to Accountability Courts to address underlying issues and major investment — up to $300 million — in jail renovations.
Following the release of the report, Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts and Sheriff Patrick Labat released a joint statement regarding the DOJ findings.
“While we are still reviewing the detailed report issued today by the Department of Justice regarding their civil rights investigation into the Fulton County Jail, Fulton County has worked closely with DOJ officials throughout this investigation.
Everyone at Fulton County shares the goal of ensuring that our Jail is safe and humane, and we agree with the Department of Justice that the issues identified are fixable. We believe our planned repairs and other programs will address the needed Jail improvements and are committed to continuing to working with the Department of Justice and the community to address the issues identified,” the statement said.
