A federal monitor reports the Fulton County Jail is so understaffed that a single deputy often oversees 200 detainees, jeopardizing compliance with the January 2025 DOJ consent decree over unconstitutional jail conditions overseen by Sheriff Pat Labat

The DOJ and Fulton County entered a federal consent decree on January 3, 2025 after finding unconstitutional conditions at the Fulton County Jail, placing the jail under an independent federal monitor led by Kathleen Kenney. Kenney's monitoring report found chronic understaffing creating 'serious safety risks,' with the Rice Street Jail sometimes staffed by just one deputy for 200 detainees, vacant security towers, and broken doors and locks.