FULTON COUNTY, GA — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted to move forward with several jail population reduction initiatives following a contentious debate.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat confirms that, adding that three of the five measures approved by commissioners are already in place.
“The public cannot comment on a public comment if they have not seen the plan,” said Dana Barrett.
“Not even the sheriff has seen it,” Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said.
Despite criticism, several commissioners argued action is needed to address ongoing issues at the jail. Proposed steps include increasing the use of ankle monitors, lowering certain bond amounts, and creating a “last chance diversion hub.”
“To be clear: the Sheriff’s Office operating budget approved by the County is approximately $156.6 million, reflecting a 1% reduction from our proposed budget, despite ongoing and good-faith discussions with County leadership about preserving essential public safety resources,” Sheriff Labat said in a statement.
Vice Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman said it was time to move beyond discussion.
“We do a whole bunch of talking about nothing,” she said. “Everybody down here has a valid point. Everyone from the solicitor, the sheriff, the judge and everything. But when are we going to do the verb word action? The time for talking is over.”
Sheriff Labat released the following statement:
<i>“Today the Chairman outlined a proposed five-point plan to reduce the jail population, greater collaboration or simply a conversation in advance would have been more beneficial. Had the Chairman or the county manager’s team reached out, it would have been clear that three of the five proposed measures are successfully in place and helping to reduce jail population. </i>
<i>Unfortunately, this is not the first time significant proposals regarding the Fulton County Jail have been publicly suggested without prior coordination with those directly responsible for operating the facility. What is also consistent is the repeated denial of funding brought to the Board to increase safety for our residents and our team. Real meaningful progress requires collaboration and communication. </i>
<i>Furthermore, any Fulton County Commissioner who believes that the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office budget for FY2026 is $234 million has been asleep at the wheel of the budget process for the past several months. This assertion is intentionally misleading and inaccurately represents both the scope of our operations and the realities of county funding. Fulton County residents deserve transparency and not political spin when it comes to how their tax dollars are prioritized.</i>
<i>To be clear: the Sheriff’s Office operating budget approved by the County is approximately $156.6 million, reflecting a 1% reduction from our proposed budget, despite ongoing and good-faith discussions with County leadership about preserving essential public safety resources. The vast majority of this budget is dedicated to personnel expenses and legally mandated services, leaving little flexibility to address growing and emerging public safety needs.</i>
<i>It is also important to clarify that funding related to the Federal Consent Decree is a countywide obligation, not discretionary funding allocated to the Sheriff’s Office. Conflating these figures creates confusion and distracts from an honest discussion about the County’s fiscal decisions.</i>
<i>I do agree with the Chairman on one point: this is not rocket science. A closer look beyond the headlines reveals that this issue is fundamentally about transparency, accuracy, and the respect Fulton County taxpayers deserve when decisions of this magnitude are discussed publicly.”</i>
— Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat