State lawmaker talks solutions for Fulton Jail and responds to new DOJ report

November 21st, 2024

A photo of the Fulton County Jail on the left and a photo of Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern in the WABE studio on the right. — Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern joins “Closer Look” to respond to the new DOJ report about the conditions at the Fulton County Jail. (Matthew Pearson/WABE and LaShawn Hudson/WABE)

In July 2023, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced it would conduct a civil investigation into the conditions at the Fulton County Jail.

Last week, nearly 16 months later, the federal agency released a new report that found the conditions at the Fulton County Jail are unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane — violating the U.S. Constitution and defying federal law.

On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern, who serves as a member of the Senate Committee on Public Safety’s Fulton County Jail Subcommittee, joined “Closer Look” to respond to the findings of the report.

During the conversation, Sen. Halpern said what the DOJ outlined in its report is unacceptable. She further talked about the jail’s crumbling infrastructure, the importance of reducing the jail population and the immediate actions the state and the county should take to ensure the safety of detainees and jail staff. She also explained why she feels a collaborative approach could be a solution for changing the future of the jail.