Fulton County To Release Inmates Early In Light Of Pandemic

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Inmates in the Fulton County Jail System.

The Fulton County Jail System is now evaluating inmates with a release date for early release as well as postponing persons serving intermittent sentences, also known as “weekends,” Senior Public Information Officer Tracy Flanagan said. 

These new actions are just a few of many steps the jail system is making to protect its employees and inmates from COVID-19. 

With the exception of attorneys, judges, clergy and healthcare providers, visitation has been suspended until further notice. Online video visitation is still available at www.fultonsheriff.net. The public has also been asked to avoid going to jail facilities unless absolutely necessary. 

For those who must enter, such as workers, enhanced screening of all individuals is taking place at jail entrances. Individuals who have recently traveled outside the United States, been asked to self quarantine within the last two weeks, or have had close contact with an infected person will be denied entry into the facilities.

On Monday, a food service worker was turned away after mentioning a possible case of COVID-19 in her apartment building, according to a tweet published by the Fulton County Sheriffs Office.

To minimize the risk of spreading infection, the sheriff's office educated staff about social distancing and asked them to be vigilant in identifying inmates exhibiting symptoms of the novel coronavirus. It also increased cleaning protocols and added additional hand washing and hand sanitizing stations.