ATLANTA — Fulton County projects its 2026 operational budget to have a $66.7 million to $96.7 million deficit, mostly due to costs for repairs and improvements to its jail system, required by a federal consent decree.
The agreement between the county and federal government requires the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and County Commission to improve the physical Rice Street jail and mandates improved safety and staffing to address “unconstitutional conditions.”
After reports of violence and inadequate supervision in summer 2023, the County Commission funded a $13 million “jail blitz” repair program where incarcerated people are moved to different parts of the jail so contractors can address structural issues…