Unsupervised inmates would destroy new Fulton jail, report says

Kenney said the largest takeaway from her team’s visit was chronic understaffing of Fulton jail operations, creating serious safety risks for the residents and employees. She said the staffing problem will obstruct every facet of the county’s compliance with the DOJ agreement.

A spokesperson for Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said he will be in a position to comment on the report next week, once he’s finished reviewing it.

At the county’s main jail facility on Rice Street, most floors had a single deputy or detention officer supervising about 200 detainees, and the security towers are often left vacant, Kenney said. She said the 1,800-odd residents take advantage of the limited supervision, “compromised security systems” and poor condition of the 36-year-old jail to make weapons for themselves.

“Some of the weapons are used to burn holes in the windows to allow drones to drop drugs, weapons and other contraband into the jail virtually unabated and undetected,” she said. “The doors do not lock, phones do not work, showers are unsanitary, plumbing fixtures and lights remain unrepaired, and video tablets are broken.”

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

Fulton’s jail woes are at the heart of a rift between the county’s commissioners, in charge of the purse strings, and Labat, who oversees jail operations.

A county spokesperson said more than $1 billion in funding has been recently approved by commissioners for jail operation improvements, including extra staff, overtime pay and repairs at the Rice Street facility.

“Fulton County is committed to a safe and humane jail and will continue to work with the monitor as well as our internal and external partners toward that shared goal,” they said.

Labat came out swinging this week after commissioners approved a $1.2 billion plan for jail renovations and a new facility for inmates with special needs. He called the commissioners shortsighted and wrong to reject his bid for a new jail.

Based on Kenney’s report, few, if any, people in the county’s jail system are happy. She said the staff generally don’t feel safe or supported, and the detainees’ complaints range from “bad” food served cold in small portions at odd hours to safety concerns over weapons and gang activity.

Kenney said detainees booked at the main jail facility were spending up to a week crammed in the intake area’s holding cells without room to sit or lie down. She said up to 40 people would share a single toilet in a holding cell, from which they would be released for 15 minutes a few times a day to be counted, make phone calls and use a restroom.

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

The report is not entirely negative. Kenney said she was impressed with a mental health competency restoration unit the sheriff’s office runs in collaboration with Emory University. She also noted that Labat has made efforts to increase jail staff and better distribute inmates among cells at Rice Street while hamstrung by the main jail’s tendency to flood.

Some of the senior staff are motivated to improve conditions despite the challenges they face, the report notes.

Overall, the main jail is in an unacceptable condition, Kenney said. She said if staffing levels don’t improve, any repairs, upgrades or new construction will be torn apart by idle, unsupervised inmates, as is already happening.

“After a zone has been repaired, the residents are returned to it,” she said. “As soon as they return, they destroy the items that have just been repaired.”

Fulton’s agreement with the DOJ does not include a final deadline for jail improvements.