City Council To Mull Closing Atlanta’s City Jail

City Corrections officials say that up to about 150 people are held at the Atlanta City Detention Center on a given day. This time last year, that number was closer to 700. Operating the facility costs the city of Atlanta $33 million a year.

Activist groups are lining up to help Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms with a new plan to sell off the city jail. The facility has become a financial burden following a streak of criminal justice reforms.

The detainee population at the Atlanta City Detention Center has dropped dramatically. City Corrections officials say recently that up to about 150 people are held there on a given day. This time last year, that number was closer to 700.

About a tenth of the building’s capacity is being used to house inmates.