Sheriff: Issues in DOJ report "worsened" by deteriorating jail conditions

The latest: The office said in a statement Monday that problems cited in the report "have been decades in the making," and that it's worked to resolve those issues since the DOJ investigation began in July 2023.

• While the report does not recommend building a new jail — as Sheriff Pat Labat has lobbied for in the past few years — the sheriff's office said many of the issues highlighted in the report are "worsened by the deteriorating condition of the current facility." 
• "The failing building compounded by the lack of adequate staffing only fuels unrest and vandalism, which, in turn, exacerbates the challenges we face in recruiting new talent and retaining experienced staff to work in the jail," the sheriff's office said.

The big picture: It's been nearly a month since the DOJ released its report — which concluded the jail's issues were so bad they violated the civil and constitutional rights of the pretrial detainees housed there — and Fulton County leaders are now tasked with how to begin addressing some of the problems outlined by the feds.

• One path forward could be through a federal consent decree, said Michael Collins, senior director of government affairs at social justice advocacy group Color of Change.

How it works: A consent decree would act as a legally binding agreement between Fulton and the DOJ outlining what changes the county needs to implement, said Collins, whose organization has called for Labat to resign as sheriff.

• It would be overseen by a federal judge, who would hold regular hearings to check on Fulton County's progress.
• The consent decree would come to an end if the judge finds the county has met the requirements to be in compliance.
• "It's a very costly process because the DOJ is requiring that you take certain actions, spend money, in order to be compliant," Collins told Axios.

Yes, and: Darren Hutchinson, Emory University School of Law professor, told Axios that local political will is also necessary for a consent decree to be effective.

• "You need local government to push the issue, as opposed to sidelining it," he said.

The intrigue: DOJ investigations into alleged civil rights abuses by a dozen cities' police departments haven't led to any reform agreements during the current Biden administration and are unlikely to do so in President-elect Donald Trump's second term, Axios' Isaac Avilucea and Russell Contreras report.

• During his first term, Trump's DOJ did not enter any new consent decrees to reform police departments, even after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 put pressure on law enforcement agencies.

What we're watching: If Fulton County commissioners are in talks with the DOJ to begin the consent decree process — and if so, whether they will have time to enter into such an agreement while still under the Biden administration's direction.

• The DOJ's report notes that 49 days after notifying the county of its findings (or by Jan. 2, 2025), the attorney general could file a lawsuit to "correct deficiencies" if they have not been addressed.

Catch up quick: The Fulton County Jail, also known as Rice Street, has been in use since 1989, according to the AJC.

• Issues with infrastructure, overcrowding and understaffing have been a long-running issue, with the detention center once before coming under federal court oversight in 2006, Axios previously reported.
• The Justice Department opened its most recent investigation into the jail in July 2023, roughly one year after the 2022 death of LaShawn Thompson, who was found dead in his cell and covered in insect bites.
• Fulton County commissioners approved a $4 million settlement with Thompson's family over his death.