More than five dozen detainees at the Fulton County Jail are currently sleeping on the floor, while a new diversion center designed to help prevent overcrowding is struggling to fill its beds.
Any police officer in the county is allowed to bring someone to the Center for Diversion and Services in Atlanta if they think the person is committing a minor offense because they’re living in poverty, or have unmet mental health or substance abuse issues.
Priority treatment is given to those who have had multiple contacts with the criminal legal system, are typically excluded or underserved by existing programs, and are disproportionately impacted by racial disparities in policing, arrests and sentencing, according to the center’s website.
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