Fulton commission delays vote on proposal to send inmates to Mississippi, South Georgia

ATLANTA — The Fulton County Commission has apparently delayed a vote on a proposal that would move more than 1,000 detainees in the county jail to other jails in Mississippi and South Georgia.

Sources told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that the details for the proposal may not be hammered out yet, and that vote may have to come next week.

But that didn’t stop opponents from telling the commission what they thought about the idea.

Fulton County commissioners got an earful Wednesday morning from those opposing the proposal to ease jail overcrowding.

“If someone’s sent hundreds of miles away, how are they going to prepare for their case?” Stephan Hernandez asked the commission.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat made the proposal last week as he continues to struggle with the overcrowding.

So far, 10 detainees have died inside the jail just this year.

“There’s no doubt the jail is overcrowded,” Commission Chair Robb Pitts said.

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Pitts told Elliot that he still wants to explore the possibility of relocating the 1,000 detainees to the old Atlanta City Jail, even if other commissioners may not.

The county made a deal with the city to house around 700 inmates but currently only has about 400 there.

In a letter sent last month, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens reminded Pitts the housing is temporary and that he’s not ready to discuss housing anymore until they get to that full 700 number.

Pitts insists the Atlanta City Detention Center is the best, most efficient way to house these detainees until they can ease the overcrowding problem.

“Why send inmates from our jail to Mississippi or South Georgia when we have a perfectly usable facility within spitting distance of where we’re standing right now?” Pitts said.

The Georgia State Senate is expected to announce Thursday that it will create a subcommittee to investigate the Fulton County Jail. The U.S. Department of Justice is already investigating.

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