Fulton County leaders support new policy to reduce low-level jail bookings

Community groups are endorsing the Fulton County Sheriff's Office decision to turn away some people charged with misdemeanors from the county jail. The sheriff says the move has been months in the making, but more work needs to be done to improve conditions at the jail. 

Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts and Sheriff Pat Labat have long clashed over how to address overcrowding at the Fulton County jail. But after the sheriff announced Tuesday that Rice Street will no longer take some people facing certain misdemeanors, Pitts has come out in support.

"I'm grateful to him for taking our suggestion and deciding, because he has the authority not to do so, and he's decided to do it. And I think he's going to be a great help for us…" Pitts said.

There are some exceptions to the change. Cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault, and some aggravated charges will still be booked. Pitts says the upcoming FIFA World Cup has added urgency to this longstanding issue: 

"Jail overcrowding is a problem, has been a problem, and with some 200-300,000 people coming here, things are going to happen," Pitts said. "When you get that many people coming together, having a great time. But these are low-level misdemeanors, and if we can keep them out of our jail, that certainly depresses the number of people, which is from time to time overcrowded."  

However, Sheriff Labat says this change has nothing to do with the tournament and that officials have been in talks about limiting misdemeanor arrestees for over a year. The sheriff's office asked the county's attorneys' office to provide a legal opinion on the measure back in October. The opinion was returned a few weeks ago. 

The sheriff says the goal is for this to be permanent, and that it is taking a cue from measures that were implemented during COVID, but were successful in the long run. Labat adds that addressing overcrowding in the jail will still need a broader, multi-pronged approach.

"When we talk about making enough of a difference and addressing overcrowding, those are two different conversations,"  Labat said. "We have to recognize and really admit…The sheriff's office, we run the jail, we don't own the jail. So we have 526 beds that are out of order. And so, those beds, if we could occupy those beds, overcrowding wouldn't be part of the conversation."

According to the sheriff's office, the Fulton County Jail has 2,830 incarcerated people, and only about 100 of them are in on misdemeanors.

"We also outsource to Atlanta, Cobb, really just a plethora of counties to include, Floyd County…" Labat said. "We've been working with our partners across the state to make sure we treat people humanely." 

Former Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory is in a runoff against Pitts for the chairman's office on the Fulton County board of commissioners. She issued a statement to CBS Atlanta about the decision, saying in part: 

"The conditions at the Fulton County Jail did not develop overnight, and they will not be solved by one decision alone. Reducing unnecessary jail bookings for low-level offenses will help address overcrowding, improve safety, and move the county toward meeting its obligations under the consent decree."

The sheriff's office will hold a community town hall next month to get feedback from residents. They plan to implement this policy in July.