Candidates vying to be Fulton County's top cop talk jail deaths, staffing troubles

Candidates for Fulton County Sheriff, Charles Rambo, Joyce Farmer, incumbent Sheriff Pat Labat, Kirt Beasley, and JT Brown hold up white boards with answers to a question during a town hall in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Nearly all of Fulton County’s candidates for sheriff said at a town hall on Tuesday, April 16, that they do not support the construction of a new, nearly $2 billion jail.

Democratic challengers Kirt Beasley, James “JT” Brown, Joyce Farmer and Charles Rambo agree there’s a humanitarian crisis at the Rice Street jail but say taxpayer money should be spent on renovating the beleaguered facility.

Meanwhile, incumbent Sheriff Patrick Labat is doubling down on his campaign for a new jail, citing the recent string of in-custody deaths.