Fulton County may be a step closer to ending an 11-year-old lawsuit over unsafe conditions at its Rice Street jail.
Last week, the county filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Atlanta seeking to end a consent order that has long governed the operation of the facility. Judge Thomas Thrash has scheduled a March 6 hearing to consider the request.
“While I cannot comment on the legal issues involved in the filing, I know the county has worked tirelessly to address all of the issues which led to the case being filed,” County Commission Chairman John Eaves said in announcing the move.
Previous efforts to end federal supervision of the jail have failed. It’s unclear whether the Southern Center for Human Rights – which filed the lawsuit on behalf of inmates – will agree to Fulton’s latest request. A representative of the organization said the county’s request is being reviewed.
Still, Thrash has signaled he’d like to bring the litigation to an end.
“This case is not going to go on forever,” he said at a December hearing.
In 2004, the Southern Center filed a lawsuit citing crowded, dirty and dangerous conditions at the jail. The center and Fulton County later agreed to a consent order that required dozens of improvements.
The county has largely finished that list. Its latest motion cites new jail locks, the leasing of space at other jails to address overcrowding and other accomplishments.
But Fulton has struggled to keep the jail fully staffed. According to a recent court monitor’s report, a lack of staffing still hinders regular security rounds. And inadequate staffing recently cost the jail its accreditation by a national health care group.
“The county has made significant strides at the jail,” said Melanie Velez, an attorney for the Southern Center. “But everyone involved would also agree that work remains to be done to ensure the jail is adequately staffed.”
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