Politics
Atlanta council backs transfer of downtown detention center in 8-7 vote
Atlanta’s City Council voted Monday to sell its detention center to Fulton County for $68 million, a narrow decision intended to add about 1,300 beds as the county confronts overcrowding. The deal preserves city use of part of the facility through a long-term, $1 lease, but council members raised questions about staffing, finances and the county’s ability to run the expanded jail space.
Atlanta’s City Council voted 8-7 on Monday, Oct. 19, to approve the $68 million sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County, advancing a plan to add roughly 1,300 detention beds as the county grapples with overcrowding at its Rice Street jail.
The vote followed months of negotiations between Mayor Andre Dickens and county officials. Fulton County already leases space in the downtown facility under an agreement set to expire in December.
Under the proposed arrangement, Atlanta would continue to use part of the building to hold people in city custody. The city would lease that space from the county for $1 under an agreement lasting as long as 50 years.
Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts has supported the sale, describing it as a shared solution. He has said most people held by the county are Atlanta residents.
Some council members opposed the proposal, questioning whether selling the facility serves the city’s interests. Their concerns included the financial terms, the future of city corrections employees and whether Fulton County has the resources to operate the additional jail space.
The county’s main jail has faced overcrowding and deteriorating conditions and is operating under a federal consent decree. The city council’s vote authorizes the sale, but ownership will not transfer until the transaction is completed.