Fulton must invest in social services, jail alternatives
We agree with much of former commissioner John H. Eaves’ article (“Fulton County doesn’t need a new jail; it’s a bad investment”) arguing against a new Fulton jail. One area of disagreement lies in the push to bring more social services behind bars.
No social service, including mental health care, should be premised on criminalization. As medical providers, we know there are far more efficient, effective and humane ways to deliver services in communities that are currently starved for funds. This requires making “upstream” investments that can prevent crises of health and safety. They may brand it a new mental health facility, yet it is a jail all the same. The public should not be fooled.
Fulton County sets the stage for mental distress as mental health is heavily influenced by policy structures that create unmet social needs. The idea that more carceral investment is needed runs contrary to common sense and misunderstands incarceration as a solution rather than a driver of the problem. In 2024, Fulton allocated $16 million to behavioral health, $10 million to public health and $147 million to the sheriff alone. All told, well over $340 million was funneled to the criminal legal system in 2024.
This manufactured social marginalization drives not only health crises but also much preventable criminal legal entanglement. Fulton must invest in non-carceral alternatives and institutions at the level they have historically funded the sheriff and DA to sustainably reduce the jail population and break the carceral cycle. You don’t demonstrate concern for incarcerated people by rewarding a system for its failure and delivering another blank check.
SUPRIYA JAIN, ATLANTA, SENIOR FELLOW AT STOP CRIMINALIZATION OF OUR PATIENTS
MARK SPENCER, ATLANTA, INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STOP CRIMINALIZATION OF OUR PATIENTS
Mike Collins’ AI antics beneath U.S. Senate
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins has helped Georgia voters narrow their choices in the U.S. Senate election. He has shown he is not worthy of consideration.
Collins ran an ad using artificial intelligence to portray U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff as saying things that he never said and would not say. When caught with his fake ad, Collins just defended this as the way of the future. Collins spread pure falsehoods and then did not have the integrity to be embarrassed when he was caught. He used a fake video to spread disinformation rather than stand up and say these things himself.
Jon Ossoff is doing a great job for all Georgians and for our nation. Surely, we will not replace him with someone who has such a lack of integrity.
LARRY AUERBACH, ATLANTA
