ACLU of Georgia Releases Poll Data Showing Fulton County Voters Overwhelmingly Feel the Fulton County Jail is Unsafe, Overcrowded, and Mismanaged

Voters Believe Fulton County Should Renovate the Existing Facility Instead of Spending Nearly $2 Billion on a New Jail

ATLANTA — Findings from an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia poll show that half of Fulton County voters believe Fulton County Jail is poorly managed, dangerous, and overcrowded. The poll of 800 registered voters in Fulton County, which was conducted by the African American Research Collaborative (AARC) between January 31 and February 14, also found that two out of three voters believe Fulton County should renovate the existing Fulton County Jail facility instead of spending nearly $2 billion on a new jail.

“This poll confirms what we already believed: Fulton County voters understand that building an expensive new facility won’t solve the current safety crisis in Fulton County Jail,” said Andrea Young, executive director, ACLU of Georgia. “Without addressing alternatives to detaining people in jail, Fulton County will continue to put people held in custody at risk, especially those with mental health issues.”

Last month, the ACLU of Georgia hosted a town hall with all five candidates for Fulton County Sheriff to give voters an opportunity to hear from the individuals who might assume responsibility for the administration and operation of Fulton County Jail. Four of the five candidates agreed with voters’ opinion that Fulton County does not need to build a new $2 billion jail to address overcrowding and safety issues, which is the position most Fulton County voters support.

In addition, the poll found:

• Three quarters of voters believe the Fulton County Jail is overcrowded, with more than half of voters contributing overcrowding to the fact that too many people cannot afford to pay their bail, and they support efforts to reduce or eliminate excessive bail.
  • ACLU of GA’s 2023 report, Breaking the Cycle: Exploring Alternatives to New Jail, found that although Fulton County Jail has made some progress in reducing wealth-based detention, there were still more than 360 people with bonds under $20,000 in custody.
  • More than 40 percent of those individuals had been in custody for at least 90 days, which suggests they likely were only in custody due to their inability to pay their bond.
• 3 out of 4 Fulton County voters believe people with mental health and substance abuse issues should receive treatment instead of being sent to jail, which would help reduce overcrowding and safety issues.
• Nearly 2 out of 3 voters believe the Fulton County Jail is poorly managed, and 68% believe Fulton County Jail is dangerous for incarcerated people and guards.
• When given the choice, more than 2 out of 3 voters expressed support for renovating the existing jail instead of spending upwards of $2 billion on a new facility.
  • Voters support using the potential savings to recruit and pay more to guards, provide needed services to the mentally ill, and provide alternatives to incarceration to reduce the jail population.

“The deaths of people detained in the Fulton County Jail have raised serious concerns about the credibility and integrity of the Fulton County Criminal Justice System,” said Fallon McClure, deputy director of policy and advocacy at the ACLU of Georgia. “The Fulton County Jail is currently unjustly holding people for extended periods of time while subjecting them to inhumane conditions that threaten their physical and mental health. If due process remains a cornerstone of the American legal system, indictments would be resolved in a fair manner and according to Fulton County’s established rules and procedures.”

Read more about the poll findings here.

The ACLU of Georgia has released two reports detailing concrete steps law enforcement and prosecutors can take to reduce the number of people housed at Fulton County Jail: the 2022 report, There Are Better Solutions: An Analysis of Fulton County’s Jail Population, and the 2023 report, Breaking the Cycle: Exploring Alternatives to a New Jail. More information about the Fulton County Jail and also sheriff candidate scorecards can be found here.

About the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia
The ACLU of Georgia enhances and defends the civil liberties and rights of all Georgians through legal action, legislative and community advocacy, and civic education and engagement.