ATLANTA – In a highly unusual move, The Fulton County Commission has approved including the Atlanta Detention Center in its legislative agenda with state legislators. They propose asking the Georgia Assembly to interfere in the affairs of the City of Atlanta and force the City to sell the Atlanta City Detention Center (“ACDC”) to Fulton County. This sale would significantly expand Fulton County’s carceral footprint and position all of Metro Atlanta’s adult detention centers under Fulton County’s jurisdiction.
There have been more than 10 deaths at the Fulton County Jail in the last year.
“Acquiring ACDC distracts from effective solutions like diversion programs and mental health support that actually reduce jail populations,” said Christopher Bruce, director of policy and advocacy at the ACLU of Georgia. “There are innumerable atrocities that plague the Fulton County Jail, including misuse of funds and a devastating number of jail deaths; adding the ACDC to Fulton County’s purview would only exacerbate the existing, unresolved issues.”
According to the ACLU of Georgia’s 2022 jail report, “There are Better Solutions,” deaths at the Rice Street facility, as well as over-incarceration in general, could have been prevented if Fulton County deployed rehabilitative options that reduce recidivism and provide needed resources. The report found that many people incarcerated at the Fulton County Jail remain there much longer than they should simply because of their inability to afford bond or pay fees.
