Reducing Fulton County’s jail population may be “the next reasonable course of action” to resolve a staffing crisis that prevents the county from safely and humanely housing its inmates, according to an evaluation of the county’s compliance with a legal agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to improve deplorable conditions at the Rice Street jail.
“Absent sustained and measurable progress, a court-ordered population cap aligned with available staffing levels may become necessary to ensure safe operations,” according to the report by Kathleen Kenney, the court-appointed lead monitor for the agreement, known as a consent decree.
The county and Sheriff Patrick Labat entered into the consent decree in January 2025. The goals of the agreement include providing inmates with “reasonable protection from violence,” ensuring they are not victims of excessive force and making sure that living conditions are safe and sanitary…