ion, pending development of an intergovernmental agreement outlining the specific details of the transaction, according to Council staff.

The legislation calls for the city and the Fulton County sheriff to negotiate a separate intergovernmental agreement regarding operational arrangements for the use of space and provision of services in the facility, including those related to housing municipal detainees, Council staff said. The item was sent to the Mayor's Office.

Barrett said the sale will help the county's jail operations.

 I think will be a huge deal for us. First of all, we'll increase our capacity which will help keep people off of the floor and allow us to do more maintenance work at Rice Street until we are able to open the special purpose building,  Barrett said.

Barrett called the sale  a generational win,  adding,  This will give us a little more lee-way on who can be where and how we can move more people around. 

Barrett said 76% of those in the county's custody face felony charges.

Critics question long-term solution

Not everyone agrees the additional facility addresses the underlying problem. Devin Franklin, with the Southern Center for Human Rights, said moving detainees to a different facility does not solve overcrowding.

 You are providing a solution that doesn't solve the problem,  Franklin said.

According to the county, despite no one currently on temporary beds, the jail population has grown by 130 detainees since July. Franklin said the county should spend less time and money acquiring facilities and put more attention on diverting people away from jail and speeding up the courts.

 I don't think the addition of ACDC and this potential mental health jail solve the issues that are the issues which is the mistreatment of individuals that are in custody,  Franklin said.

County data scheduled for presentation to commissioners Wednesday shows 437 people in jail as of Oct. 13 were classified as unindicted, accounting for 14% of the total jail population. The county's justice system scorecard also shows the felony case clearance rate at 92% in September, up from a baseline of 72%.

A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice report described  filthy  conditions and  gross negligence  at the Rice Street jail, citing understaffing as a factor contributing to unsafe conditions for employees and people held at the jail.