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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Boone says the council will take feedback and the sale resolution will be heard at the next Public Safety Committee meeting at 1 p.m. Sept. 28. It is dual referred to the Finance/Executive Committee, which meets at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 30.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Bakhtiari says, "if you want less inmates, care about them before they're behind bars." Abdur-Rahman says the city needs to take accountability for that issue too.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Abdur-Rahman says the county needs more beds than the number of people held in the jail on average to allow for different "classifications" of detained persons to be held separately.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Abdur-Rahman says, "is this the best solution, probably not. But is this the best solution for now? Yes."

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Abdur-Rahman says if it was up to her, the county wouldn't build a new jail, but adds that the Sheriff can't keep employees if the jail facilities aren't in good condition.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Commissioner Abdur-Rahman says Bakhtiari is either mistaken or ill informed about the claim that the county isn't spending its fair share on diversions.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond says projections on jail beds needs to be based on how many would be needed 20-30 years in the future.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond says that the city should not go from a position of ownership to being a lessor. He says he wouldn't sell his house then turn around and lease a room from the new owner.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

County Manager Anderson says rehabilitate Rice Street and build a new 1,800 building and a rapid build 500 bed facility would cost $1.36 billion. ACDC would need $75 billion in rehabilitation and replace the 500 bed rapid build facility that would cost $200 million, saving $67 million.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

"There is not anyone in this administration that is trying to undermine or attack any organization," Burks says.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

"Let me be very clear, the city puts out RFPs every day. Whenever a contract is nearing its end, you have an opportunity to put out an RFP. What we showed when putting out that RFP is that the city is continuing to be committed to pre arrest diversion services," Burks says.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Burks says "we have never set a goal as a justice policy board" of 40 people per day.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Corrections Deputy Chief Natasha Johnson says there will be 204 beds separated into men's and women's spaces.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Winston questions continued: 4. Whether purchasing the jail would result in a tax savings for residents.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council member Jason Winston asks: 1. How many beds will the city be responsible for maintaining 2. When the council can expect to see a lease agreement or IGA proposal 3. Whether the purchase of ACDC will replace the county's proposal to build a new jail

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Barrington Ward highlights the city's failure to reach 40 diversions per day and APD's failure to produce reports on how many detained persons who are eligible for diversions are instead sent to jails

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Roberts says SCHR tabulated the sheriff's compliance from the monitors report and came up with 4%—the same number I did earlier

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

K. Bond questions continued: 5. What recommendations the Community Over Cages Coalition has that should be exhausted before the sale 6. For SCHR to elaborate on their role in the consent decree process

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

K. Bond questions continued: 3. Whether money from the lease or the proposed sale has or will go to diversion or alternative public safety programs. 4. How the county plans to improve conditions at the jail beyond increasing the number of beds.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council member Kelsea Bond asks: 1. At what point the city decided to abandon the recommendations of the reimagining ACDC task force and whether task force members were consulted before the jail sale proposal 2. What the city gains by selling the jail instead of continuing the lease

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Burks says they are continuing to work with the corrections department to determine staffing levels needed for the floor at ACDC and the detention area at Grady Hospital.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council member Thomas Worthy asks how many of the 189 corrections employees are eligible for early retirement and how many would be needed for the city to maintain its own floor. Burks says there are 30 employees who have 24.4 years of service or more and qualified for non-penalty early retirement

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Bakhtiari says if the county put more money toward housing programs it would reduce jail population.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Bakhtiari says the county shouldn't get a pat on the back for its $5 million spending on diversions when the city is spending $30-$40 million on health and human services, which are a county responsibility.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

"To sit here and say that creating more carceral space is not going to lead to more people being arrested is absolutely ridiculous," Bakhtiari says.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council member Liliana Bakhtiari thanks SCHR for their weekly appearances at public comment to educate the council on criminal justice issues. Bakhtiari says it's untrue to say mass incarceration is not a part of the ACDC sale consideration.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Overstreet asks what charges would be placed in the city's floor after the proposed sale. APD Assistant Chief Charles Hampton Jr says things like traffic offenses (DUI, suspended licenses) and shoplifting would go to municipal court.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Overstreet says the main reason she did not want to close ACDC was because she was afraid non-"criminals" would be sent to Rice Street. "I wanted to make sure that we didn't escalate charges on our municipal citizens for just making one bad decision in an hour."

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Overstreet wants to make sure that other cities will pay their own costs. Burks says that is how it will work.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Overstreet clarifies that she meant the city detention floor, not the diversion center floor

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Burks says the first floor would remain the diversion center and the city would continue to support half the operations cost. She says there's a different floor (either the third or fourth) that the city would retain for use for its own detained persons run by city corrections staff.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Burks says ACDC's appraised value was $140 million.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Overstreet questions continued: 3. More details about the first floor (the diversion center) 4. Are the other 14 cities in Fulton County paying into the beds

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council President Marci Collier Overstreet ask: 1. What ACDC's appraised amount was 2. If the difference in the amount affords the city the option not to continue to pay into the system, e.g. the diversion center, "especially since Fulton County does not want to do the hospital at this time."

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond says "everyone is scared" of the activists and will bend over backwards to please them.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond says, "to the activists, if I can say this without raising your ire, please expand your activities to look at why we are not using our municipal court the way that it should."

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond says city taxpayers would be paying twice for the same building if it was sold to Fulton County.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond proposed a joint authority for public safety between the city and says a model for that authority already exists with the management of watershed assets.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

MJ Bond says the sale is "a solution, but it is not the right solution." He does not support the sale of city assets. He supports a long-term lease of the facility to Fulton County.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council member Michael Julian Bond says the situation is based on the fallacy that jails are not necessary. "You have jails because of the court, not because of the police," MJ Bond says."

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Burks says the city go to this position "over time, based on need." She adds that continued conversations with Fulton County about its needs has led to the sale.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

"We are out of space when it comes to our females," Labat says.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Labat says Fulton sent 150 detained people to Irwin County, but they were rejected and this is an issue he faces with other counties.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Labat says the county has invested in staffing and is up 10% and ACDC staff can come to the county.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Collins final question is "what is the strategy behind addressing the staffing changes knowing it is the glaring red herring through all of the reports."

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Council member Eshé Collins asks the mayoral administration how the city got to this point, moving from the plan to close the jail to now proposing selling the facility. Collins also questions whether the sale going through would eliminate out of county detentions.

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 23/09/2026

Lewis suggests using the $68 million to improve courts, healthcare and retrofit ACDC into an equity center.

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