ATLANTA — A Fulton County judge has denied the transfer of inmates in the county's jail to out-of-state facilities.
On Monday, Judge Scott McAfee released his decision, noting that the sheriff is not permitted to transfer detainees outside of the state.
Due to jail overcrowding, hundreds of inmates have been forced to sleep on floor mattresses temporarily. At its most crowded, Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat said 560 inmates occupied floor space.
In a recent report from 11Alive, Labat mentioned he had been able to bring the population down some by moving inmates to other facilities within the state in counties such as Cobb, Forsyth, and Oconee.
Labat announced plans to work with prosecutors, public defenders, and judges to release more inmates awaiting trial to reduce the overall population.
In a statement following the ruling, the sheriff's office noted: We are pleased with Judge McAfee’s ruling today denying the Circuit Public Defender for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit’s petition to direct Sheriff Labat not transfer Public Defender clients from the Fulton County Jail to other detention facilities. We will continue to explore and implement visionary measures to reduce the jail population by outsourcing inmates within the State of Georgia. Creating safer conditions by relieving overcrowding within the Rice Street Jail remains a top priority.
The Fulton County Jail was built 34 years ago with a capacity of 1,125—its current population is almost double the capacity amount.
Recently, the Biden administration sent U.S. Department of Justice investigators into the Fulton County Jail. Labat expects them to report their findings within the next year or longer.
The department said the investigation follows credible allegations of deplorable living conditions, rampant violence resulting in "serious injuries and homicides," and the use of excessive force by officers.
Currently, two private prisons are under consideration: the D. Ray James Correctional Institution in Folkston, Georgia, located around 300 miles away from Atlanta, and the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi, which is roughly a 400-mile journey one way from the city.