An inmate at the Fulton County Jail was eaten alive by bed bugs earlier this mont, renewing calls for a new jail with better conditions for inmates.
One prominent voice who is not calling for a new jail is Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts, who remains opposed to the new jail. Pitts explained his position in a letter to his constituents. The letter is presented below in its entirety for you to read and decide your view.
I am writing this in response to the many questions posed to me on why I don’t support building a new jail in Fulton County.
We know the jail on Rice Street is severely overcrowded and in need of some renovations. It’s a troubling fact that no one disputes, and there is no need to belabor the disturbing events that have recently grabbed headlines.
But is building a $2.2 billion new jail that can house up to 4,000 inmates the only answer to the overcrowding crisis? Absolutely not. Building a new, very expensive jail is a band aid solution that will cost taxpayers dearly. Have we seriously bothered to investigate less costly options and the exact price tag they may carry?
Let’s begin with the key question: Why is the jail overcrowded in the first place?
I believe the answer is simple. Arrestees are not being indicted in a timely manner, judges are not processing cases in a timely manner and in some instances, police are arresting and jailing people for minor offenses.
Our system is broken and until our justice partners get their act together, the overcrowding will continue. Cases are so backlogged that many suspects languish in jail for days, weeks and even years. Everyone knows that processing those accused of crimes would free up much-needed jail space.
When the Fulton County Commission hired consultants to study the feasibility of a new jail, I predicted it was a foregone conclusion that they would find a new jail is the only solution to end the overcrowding problem. However,…
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