Updated on Aug. 29, 2024, at 4:54 p.m.
Since the Fulton County Jail opened in 1989, the county’s sheriff says, it’s been overcrowded.
According to Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, this has led to the current poor condition of the building’s infrastructure over time. Overcrowding has put a strain on the building’s plumbing and electrical system. More than $300,000 is spent on maintenance every month, and since January 2024, more than 30,000 maintenance requests have been opened.
During a recent one-on-one conversation at the Fulton County Jail, Labat told “Closer Look” show host Rose Scott that the building is dangerous, not only for residents but also for employees.
Labat says despite the building’s outdated infrastructure, there’s been a lot of back and forth and resistance from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to build a new jail. He says commissioners have approved $300 million for renovations, but he believes the money would be better spent if it were used to build a new facility.
“We are going to spend $300 million anyway, and we might as well invest in a replacement facility that will take us into 20, 30 years down the road,” explained Labat.
Commissioners conducted a feasibility study on the jail, and this summer, they voted against building a $1.7 billion jail. Over the past several years, lawsuits have been filed, and the Department of Justice launched a civil investigation concerning the conditions at the jail. Most recently, the Fulton County Jail Subcommittee was tasked with reviewing the jail’s policies and conditions.
Scott’s conversation with Labat continues with a tour of the facility. He further explains why he believes the building should be condemned. Along the tour, Labat stops at the jail’s kitchen, which he says is used to prepare up to 10,000 meals a day. He says the area’s air conditioning unit is being repaired, and there are two ice machines that are not working. He shows Scott flooding along a hallway and gives her an inside look at a deteriorating cell unit and one that is newly renovated.
