FULTON COUNTY, GA — The Atlanta City Council is expected to hold a final vote Monday on a proposed $68 million sale of the Atlanta Detention Center to Fulton County following years of discussions between city and county officials.
The full council is scheduled to consider legislation authorizing Mayor Andre Dickens to negotiate the sale after the city’s Finance Committee approved the proposal last week.
Dickens initially proposed the $68 million price in late August. The agreement would give Fulton County approximately 1,300 additional detention beds downtown to help address overcrowding at its Rice Street jail.
Under the proposed deal, the city of Atlanta would continue housing inmates in its custody by leasing space within the detention center.
The proposal has faced opposition from several Atlanta City Council members, who previously paused the sale while seeking additional information about whether the agreement would benefit the city.
Councilmember Michael Julian Bond previously expressed concerns about the proposal.
“This whole situation is based on the fallacy that somehow corrections and jails are not necessary,” Bond said.
Disagreements over the proposed sale have also led to tense exchanges between Atlanta City Council members and Fulton County commissioners.
Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari criticized the approach to addressing the county’s jail population.
“If you want less inmates, care about them before they’re behind bars. I think it’s that simple,” Bakhtiari said.
Fulton County Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman also weighed in on the dispute.
“To lay that at the feet of Fulton County and not take responsibility yourself is disingenuous,” Abdur-Rahman said.
The proposed sale comes as Fulton County continues dealing with years of overcrowding and deteriorating conditions at the Rice Street jail. The facility is under a federal consent decree following an investigation that uncovered unsafe conditions for inmates.
Monday’s scheduled vote also comes ahead of a December deadline, when Fulton County’s current lease for space at the Atlanta Detention Center is set to expire.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Bill Caiaccio contributed to this story.
