Metro Atlanta

Fulton sheriff plans to turn away some misdemeanor arrestees from jail

It is unclear to what extent the policy change would improve conditions within the Rice Street jail.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat speaks during a press conference in March 2026. In a news release Tuesday night, May 26, Labat said he will stop accepting people arrested on low-level misdemeanor charges into the Fulton County Jail starting on July 1, citing ongoing concerns about deterioration of the troubled facility and overcrowding within it. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat speaks during a press conference in March 2026. In a news release Tuesday night, May 26, Labat said he will stop accepting people arrested on low-level misdemeanor charges into the Fulton County Jail starting on July 1, citing ongoing concerns about deterioration of the troubled facility and overcrowding within it. (Jason Getz/AJC)
9 hours ago

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat says he will stop accepting people arrested on low-level misdemeanor charges into the Fulton County Jail starting on July 1, citing ongoing concerns about deterioration of the troubled facility and overcrowding within it.

There will be exceptions, he said, including cases of domestic violence, sexual assault and “aggravated misdemeanor circumstances.”

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ot dnopser stseuqer snoitseuq ro eciffo ton elpitlum morf rof did tnemmoc ehT s’tabaL .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ atnaltA

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dluow ohw ot ot esoht yeht eht eht eht taht ylelos ssensuoires skees yfilauq ycilop fo fo fo fo ton wen sronaemedsim ortem ynam ecitsuj noitarecracni ni rof ,ecaf sriahc-oc draob esuaceb sevitanretla snoitagella desucca gnidrocca a roirepuS treboR ,yenruBcM egduJ ,revewoH notluF truoC .atnaltA

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Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney turns to look at Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, right, as he speaks during a Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting about a proposed plan to lower the population of the Fulton County Jail on Wednesday, March 3, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney turns to look at Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, right, as he speaks during a Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting about a proposed plan to lower the population of the Fulton County Jail on Wednesday, March 3, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

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ohw yrev eht taht naht ylelos elpoep fo rebmun erom sronaemedsim .wol liaj si ni rof gnicaf syad era dedda eH 03

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ot no denilced tnemmoc .tnemecnuonna ehT s’tabaL DPA

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gnidrager“ ot eht eht eht eht eht thguos s’ffirehs dias ytilibisnopser esaeler evitaler noinipo eciffo fo swen ronaemedsim gnikam lagel .liaj otni ekatni ni morf ytnuoc ytirohtua s’yenrotta ”seetserra tnemecnuonna dna a yadseuT rebotcO tabaL A

An aerial photo shows the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
An aerial photo shows the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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erehw“ htiw ,keew nabru ylsuominanu ot eht hcus derosnops ”.ytefas ,noituloser cilbup cilbup ,noissessop dessap ,sesneffo fo tneloivnon ronaemedsim anaujiram rof ssenneknurd enilced s’ytnuoc tnetsisnoc gnipmac yb sgnikoob gniksa sa etairporppa dna dna a bboR ,sttiP tsaL tabaL srenoissimmoC namriahC draoB

srotisiv lausu ot ot eht eht eht naht .syas noituloser evitcaorp ,sesneffo fo erom ,serusaem sehctam ynam level-wol dael xulfni ni rof rof detcepxe dluoc sa sa stserra dna dlroW tuohtiW enuJ yluJ AFIF puC atnaltA 000,003

etabrecaxe“ ,ffats suoires ytefas ytefas sksir secruoser cilbup ”,seitiroirp ,gnidworcrevo detimil ytilibail liaj ti slaudividni esaercni nethgieh morf rof trevid deniated ytnuoc dluoc yawa dna dna .sdda sihT

dluow htiw dehsiw nehw saw eht eht eht ekat ,trats s’ffirehs dias ycilop desaelp fo wen ,enuJ-dim sehctam weivretni daetsni ni ni eh tceffe tub tnemecnuonna na dlroW ,yadsendeW sttiP .yluJ nI puC

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ot eht s’ffirehs no noitarecracni rof dedualppa tnemecnuonna sevitanretla .yadsendeW setacovdA

gnipeeK“ htiw lliw eht .tnemetats evas dias etiuq tuo fo fo level-wol ”,sevil yllaretil nwonk slaudividni ni evitucexe rotcerid segrahc sa a gniciloP ,DAP ikoM ,saicaM liaJ ,evitaitinI notluF noisreviD ytnuoC sevitanretlA ;pma&

lliw nwot eht taht s’ffirehs dias esaeler sserp ycilop no eciffo wen gniteem dleh llah erofeb eb a ehT yluJ .1

edivorp ro ton .noitacol did etad a a tI

About the Author

Reed Williams is an enterprise reporter on the Local team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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