ATLANTA — There is controversy brewing over millions of dollars that the Fulton County sheriff planned to spend on new technology intended to save lives inside the troubled jail.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Sophia Choi went to the Fulton County Commission meeting on Wednesday as it tried to claw back that money saying the sheriff and company hired failed to deliver.
The contract promised help for hundreds of inmates at the main jail on Rice Street within a month of handing over that money.
But now, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said he needs more money and more help to make that happen.
“The technology is proven. This is simply a witch hunt,” was Labat’s reaction after Fulton County commissioners voted to rescind the sheriff’s contract with Talitrix.
The company makes wristbands that are supposed to alert deputies when an inmate is having a health issue by measuring their heart rate and tracking their movement.
Commissioners say they paid $2.1 million to put the wristbands on 500 inmates at the main Fulton County Jail by July.
Right now, there are only 15 in use there.
“This was an emergency ask which implied that they were ready to act, ready to go. And that didn’t take place,” Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis said.
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The sheriff said the issue isn’t with the bands, it’s with the overcrowding and he needs more money to move the inmates.
Crews can’t get in to hook up the system with inmates still sleeping on floors. Labat told Choi that the commission is overstepping.
“The board does not have the legal authority to interfere in the sheriff’s contractual obligations,” Labat said.
But the commission chair told Choi they’ll cancel the purchase order or hold another vote to get that money back.
Talitrix sent a statement, saying:
“Today’s vote by the Fulton County Commission is both disappointing and legally questionable. District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis would rather attack Sheriff Labat and a local company than solve the crisis at Rice Street.
“Talitrix is in full compliance with our contract despite the misrepresentations by the Fulton County Commission. We remain steadfast in our partnership with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and our commitment to saving lives and reforming the criminal justice system. Our legal team is examining all options.”
“Ultimately, it’s the perfect storm of not being able to move individuals, but at the same time look at what we did do, we put wristbands on 15-16 individuals,” Labat said.
The sheriff has already spent more than $733,000 of the $2.1 million. So the commission won’t get all of the money back.
Choi asked the sheriff if he plans to keep the contract going. She’s still waiting on a clarification.
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