A Georgia Senate committee, led by Republicans, has moved forward with a bill that would require Atlanta to permit the Fulton County sheriff to utilize the city jail, charging only for maintenance costs.
Proponents of the bill argue that it would help ease overcrowding at the county jail, which has been under federal scrutiny due to a civil rights investigation. The probe found that detainees were subjected to unsanitary and hazardous conditions, violating their constitutional rights. Last month, Fulton County and Sheriff Pat Labat reached a court-enforceable agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to improve jail conditions.
