The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office could be a step closer to receiving $6.4 million in supplemental funding to cover overtime pay and staffing incentives for the troubled county jail — months after commissioners first approved the funds.
The sheriff’s office and county administration are “in current talks” to receive the funds, said Natalie Ammons, the sheriff’s communications director.
In May, the Fulton County Commission authorized the additional money to address a staffing shortage. But in July, commissioners, in a split vote, denied expediting the transfer, citing transparency concerns and the lack of a detailed personnel list signed by Sheriff Patrick Labat.
During that July 9 meeting, Commissioner Bob Ellis said providing a list of employees would help ensure that the money would be used effectively.
On Thursday, Ammons said the sheriff’s office is reviewing a personnel list from the county’s Human Resources department and expects Labat to sign off on it “in the coming days.”
The sheriff’s department has 822 employees, according to the county. Via email, Ammons said overtime funds for jail employees were depleted earlier in July.
The Fulton County Jail is under a federal consent decree citing dangerous conditions, including failure to protect incarcerated individuals from violence and provide adequate medical and mental health care.
“We’re under a [Department of Justice] consent decree because our jail conditions are inhumane and unconstitutional — due in part to a staffing shortage,” Commissioner Dana Barrett said. “Overtime funding is essential, and we should be doing everything in our power to get it to the sheriff. No excuses.”
Barrett, who moved to expedite the funds in July, criticized the ongoing delay.
“We should’ve included adequate funding in the budget in January. We should’ve provided it in May following the resolution,” she said Friday. “It’s August, and they still don’t have the funds because of a dispute over paperwork. It’s unacceptable. We need to put the safety of our officers and our inmates first.”
