Atlanta considers deal to move prisoners to South Fulton

By Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, frustrated over city jail leasing negotiations with Fulton County, will take his prisoners elsewhere for now.

On Wednesday, Reed and his staff will present a budget amendment to the City Council finance committee proposing that the city use its jail for another 90 days and then lease daily bed space for 200 prisoners from South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail in Union City, beginning on Oct. 1, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned. That would save the city $2.5 million.

The move comes after weeks of council complaints suggesting Reed was trying to set the 2011 spending plan based partially on funds that haven't been obtained, specifically from the sale of the jail.

City officials have been trying to negotiate a lease-sale for Fulton County to take over the city jail.

“After months of intense negotiations and deliberations, we have decided that the city needs to control what it can control and let the negotiations with Fulton County take its course,” said David Bennett, city senior policy advisor. “This model is the least expensive way we can run the jail.”

The previous deal had to be approved by the Fulton County Commission. However, on at least two occasions the jail negotiations did not come up on the commissioners' agenda with city officials expecting otherwise. The jail dealings were not on Wednesday's agenda either.

The city spends $20.1 million per year on the jail and partnering with South Fulton would bring the cost down to $17.4 million per year. Under the deal with South Fulton, the city would have guaranteed space for at least 125 inmates per day, and expects to send 200-225.

The city would pay $50 per night for each bed. It currently costs the city $100 per night to house inmates at the city jail. Fulton was going to charge $78.

The city still wants to work with Fulton County and consolidate jail services, Bennett said. If Fulton can come up with an agreement, Atlanta has a 30-day out clause with South Fulton.

“They are having the same conversations we had some time ago,” Bennett said, explaining the Fulton decision involves several layers of government. “Beyond that, Fulton County has a complicated framework and that framework may take them some time to agree on a single scenario.”

To close a $50 million budget shortfall, Reed proposed the lease-sale of the city jail to Fulton County, which needs more beds to to counter its overcrowded jail.

Reed's latest solution to the jail situation might not receive immediate action. Similar to Fulton County's slow-moving process, the city might not be able to respond right away to the mayor's proposal.

Felicia Moore, an Atlanta councilwoman who last week proposed a series of budget amendments, said the mayor’s amendment doesn’t give the council much time to react.

“We haven’t even discussed it and, as far as I am concerned, it is an idea that is not ripe yet," Moore said. The council is not prepared to vote on this."