ATLANTA — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners is set to vote on Wednesday regarding a proposal to renovate the existing jail and build a new special purpose facility, a plan estimated to cost over $1 billion.
The proposal, championed by Board Chairman Robb Pitts, suggests making critical repairs to the main jail on Rice Street and constructing a facility to address mental health, medical and other special needs, Channel 2’s Audrey Washington reports.
This comes amid ongoing concerns about the jail’s conditions, including reports of rights violations. Pitts said the plan will cost just over $1 billion.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Washington asked why renovate the jail and not build a new one.
“The federal monitor who came in and did not address the need of a new jail,” Pitts said.
“Why would we spend more on a building that’s crumbling?” questioned Commissioner Dana Barrett, expressing her opposition to the renovation plan.
“There is not a pathway forward at the Fulton County commission that will improve the conditions that people are experiencing at the Rice Street facility,” said activist Devin Barrington.
Channel 2 Action News has reported on deaths and injuries at the jail.
The debate over the future of the Fulton County Jail has been ongoing, with significant attention on the facility’s deteriorating conditions. Reports have highlighted issues such as deaths, injuries, and detainees facing physical and sexual abuse, alongside filthy living conditions.
In 2024, a Department of Justice civil investigation found that the conditions inside the jail violated the constitutional and federal statutory rights of detainees. This has fueled the urgency for change and the current proposal on the table.
Barrett has voiced her concerns about the renovation plan, suggesting that building a new facility from scratch might be a better solution. Her stance reflects a broader skepticism about whether renovations can adequately address the jail’s problems.
Community activists have also criticized the current conditions, arguing that simply adding more facilities does not address the underlying human rights abuses occurring at the jail.
The outcome of the vote will determine the direction of the Fulton County Jail’s future, as officials and community members continue to grapple with how best to address the facility’s significant challenges.
RELATED STORIES:
- Agreement signed to fix problems at Fulton County Jail after federal investigation
- Fulton County Sheriff’s Office arrests 2 former deputies for treatment of detainees at county jail
- Jailer to serve at least 15 years for bringing backpack of drugs to work at Fulton Jail
- Department of Justice says rights of inmates at Fulton County Jail are being violated
- Channel 2 Action News gets look inside crumbling Fulton County jail
- $5.3M approved for Fulton County Jail after family claims inmate ‘eaten alive’ by bed bugs
- Sheriff responds to claims inmate was eaten alive by bed bugs inside Fulton County Jail
- ‘We’re holding people accountable:’ Fulton County sheriff asked jailers to resign
- ‘Past time to clean house:’ Chief Fulton Co. jailers resign after family says inmate died in filth
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
