Fulton County leaders approve plan to reduce jail population at Rice Street facility

Fulton County commissioners have approved a plan aimed at reducing the inmate population at the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street by expanding diversion programs and other alternatives to incarceration.

County leaders voted on the proposal during a recent meeting, outlining several strategies designed to divert low-level offenders away from jail and into community-based services. 

Supporters say the move could help address long-standing concerns about overcrowding and the impact the criminal justice system has on vulnerable populations.

One key element of the plan would strengthen protocols directing eligible arrestees to Fulton County's diversion center rather than the jail. The center offers services and supervision designed to help people address issues such as mental health challenges, substance use, and housing instability. 

Dr. Mark Spencer, executive director of the advocacy group Stop Criminalization of Our Patients, says diversion programs are important not only for public safety but also for public health.

"When you arrest folks who are struggling with mental health, substance use, poverty in the city and in the county, you're not doing anything to promote safety," Spencer said. "But you're doing a lot to further marginalize them and destabilize their lives as they're trying to find stability." 

Spencer said he regularly sees the consequences of arresting vulnerable people, including those who are unhoused or unable to afford medication.

"Folks are struggling," he said. "Folks are unhoused. Folks can't afford their medications, but there's always apparently a jail on offer." 

The plan includes several other measures intended to reduce the jail population, including:

• Sending text notifications to remind defendants of court dates
• Transferring inmates who should be held in other jurisdictions
• Lowering bonds and using ankle monitors so more inmates can be released
• Creating procedures to make it easier for officers to learn if past warrants can be lifted
  

Advocates say one challenge is that many people eligible for diversion services don't realize the option exists.

Doug Ammar, executive director of the Georgia Justice Project, said the diversion center remains underused in part because the concept is unfamiliar to many who are arrested.

"A lot of folks know what jail is, but they don't know what diversion is," Ammar said. 

According to county officials, the diversion center can serve about 40 people at a time, but fewer than 10 people have consistently used the facility. 

Community advocates say increasing participation could ensure taxpayer-funded services are used effectively.

"If we're spending millions of taxpayers' dollars and not utilizing the services, it's just a waste of money," said Robyn Hasan-Simpson, executive director of Women on the Rise. 

Officials say the effort to reduce the Rice Street jail population has been underway for years but continues to evolve. Commissioners who support the plan described it as an initial step toward broader reforms.