Fulton County leaders propose plan to reduce jail population

The five-point plan aims to divert inmates to a support center and avoid overcrowding at the county jail.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts announced a five-point plan on Friday that he believes could drastically reduce the county jail's population by at least 1,000 inmates in a short time. The plan would heavily utilize the Center for Diversion and Services in Atlanta, which offers wraparound support for those facing poverty or mental health challenges. Pitts said the proposal includes a "last-chance diversion opportunity" where detainees would be given a final choice to go to the diversion center instead of jail.

Why it matters

Fulton County's jail has faced ongoing overcrowding concerns, leading to a federal consent decree issued by the U.S. Justice Department last year. The proposed plan aims to address these overcrowding issues and comply with the consent decree through increased diversion to support services.

The details

The five-point plan proposed by Pitts and Vice-Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman would implement a "last-chance diversion opportunity" for detainees. This means that if someone is stopped by police, they would be given a final choice to go to the diversion center instead of jail. The Center for Diversion and Services in Atlanta, which can accommodate 40 people per night, is currently only averaging 3 people per night. Pitts believes this plan could be a solution to a possible jail population cap suggested by the monitor for the jail consent decree.

  • The U.S. Justice Department issued a federal consent decree against the Fulton County jail last year.

The players

Robb Pitts

Fulton County Commission Chairman who announced the proposed five-point plan to reduce the jail population.

Khadijah Abdur-Rahman

Fulton County Commission Vice-Chair who co-proposed the plan with Pitts.

Center for Diversion and Services

An Atlanta-based organization that offers wraparound support for those facing poverty or mental health challenges, and is a key part of the proposed diversion plan.

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What they’re saying

“We want to implement what I'm calling a last-chance diversion opportunity for those inmates.”

— Robb Pitts, Fulton County Commission Chairman (atlantanewsfirst.com)

“The benefit in that is, that would be 2-300 fewer bodies in our Rice Street jail, therefore reducing the number of inmates in the jail, which addresses what the monitor is talking about, setting a cap.”

— Robb Pitts, Fulton County Commission Chairman (atlantanewsfirst.com)

What’s next

The other parts of the proposed five-point plan will be discussed at Wednesday's Fulton County Commission meeting.

The takeaway

Fulton County is taking proactive steps to address jail overcrowding through a multi-pronged diversion plan that aims to provide support services as an alternative to incarceration. This approach could help the county comply with the federal consent decree and find a humane solution to ongoing overcrowding issues.