Fulton County Jail to stop accepting most misdemeanor arrests

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]now to talk about a big announcement coming out of Fulton County Jail. The Sheriff's Office soon going to stop accepting misdemeanor arrests. Loving life Stephanie Chynoweth joins us now from that facility over on Rice Street.

[00:00:15]Notorious old building behind her and Steph apparently this is going to start like as soon as this summer.

[00:00:22]Yeah, Dan July that's when all this is going to start but they will be making exceptions for certain misdemeanors. We know if it involves sexual assault, domestic violence, aggravated misdemeanor then they will be checked in here but otherwise a lot of questions remain about where exactly they will be going but this was just announced yesterday by the Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Pat Labat says this is coming on the heels of some serious overcrowding issues they've been dealing with. Also deteriorating conditions inside the facility already. And we know that this has been happening for a while including violence between inmates reported and also concerns about medical and mental health care for inmates inside the facility. Now back in 2022 making national news the death of Lashon Thompson here. He was an inmate being held on a misdemeanor charge. He was found dead in his cell and autopsy reported his body was covered in sores and bites from bed bugs and that he had suffered dehydration and untreated schizophrenia. His death prompted a civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice which later determined that the jail needed to make some major reforms. Now in a statement released yesterday after this big announcement Sheriff Labat says it's his responsibility to implement a pathway forward that is best for residents and community public safety. He also said in that release that he's had multiple conversations the office with Fulton County Attorney's Office, mayors, also multiple police chiefs on this decision.

[00:01:52]And the Sheriff says that they will be holding a town hall open to the public where people can ask questions, get some answers, a little more clarity perhaps in what exactly this means for their daily operations, and also, you know, where exactly those arrested on misdemeanor charges will now go. Uh as still not clear as far as when that town hall is happening. That date was not included in that release, but we will be reaching out to figure out when exactly that's scheduled, Dan. But, yeah, a big announcement, but yet still a lot of questions about how this is going to work.

[00:02:25]I guess so. Seth, we'll try to get to the bottom of those in the weeks and days ahead. Thank you very much.