The Fulton County Commission will consider a $1.1 billion plan to build a special-purpose mental and medical health facility and to make repairs to the Fulton County Jail to meet the requirements of a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Commission Chairman Robb Pitts held a briefing on Monday to outline the plan developed by consultants and county staff that would use revenue from tax allocation districts for funding. The county commission will discuss the plan at its meeting on Wednesday, which begins at 10 a.m.
“This plan for the future of the jail prioritizes the needs of detainees who need the most care. It also mitigates the financial impact on taxpayers compared to building a new jail, and it addresses many of the concerns about the jail that were identified in the consent decree,” Pitts said.
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The special-purpose building would include a 3,200-bed facility with single-cell occupancy. Construction is expected to take five years, Director of Justice System Programs Steve Nawrocki said. Once it is complete, some of its beds will be used to house incarcerated individuals to enable renovations to begin at the Rice Street jail.
Pitts called diversion programs such as the pre-arrest diversion center, accountability courts, county-subsidized ankle monitors, and pre-trial diversion services just as important to keep people out of jail.
The county invests heavily in mental health services. Pitts said that was important as between 40 and 70 percent of the people in the jail have a mental health or substance abuse issue.
Pitts met with Gov. Brian Kemp before the briefing to talk about how the state can play a bigger role in mental health care.
Fulton County will spend $19.5 million this year on mental health care, a figure Pitts said was higher than any other county in the state. Working with the state, the county opened its first behavioral health crisis center last year, with a second center being planned.
Pitts said the federal monitor appointed under the consent decree has not ordered the county to build a new jail but the special-purpose facility will meet many of medical and mental health needs.