100 Inmates Moved From Fulton County To Cobb To Ease Overcrowding

ATLANTA — One hundred Fulton County Jail inmates have moved to neighboring Cobb County, authorities said.

In an effort to ease overcrowding at the Fulton County Jail at Rice Street in Atlanta, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office struck a partnership with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office to house the 100 jail detainees, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat said Monday.

“I am appreciative of Sheriff Craig Owens and the Cobb County Sheriff's Office for providing housing for these individuals,” Labat said. “A top priority for me is ensuring humane conditions for persons in our care and control. Sheriff (Craig) Owens and I agreed upon a set criteria for those detainees eligible for the program.”

Labat said all of the inmates who have been moved are nonviolent offenders who underwent general health screening and were vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Fulton jail, which was built in 1989, houses 3,100 detainees, with 300 of those inmates relegated to portable sleeping units called “boats” that are placed on different floors of the facility.

Labat, who was formerly the chief of the Atlanta City Detention Center, has asked Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and City Councilmembers to use the facility for jail overflow to no avail.

“This is a huge step in getting our detainees off the floor,” Labat said.