Advocates Ask Council To Close Atlanta Detention Center

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Earlier this year, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the city would temporarily stop accepting new detainees from the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

More than a hundred advocates poured into Atlanta’s City Hall Monday asking the city council to move forward in closing the Atlanta detention center.Advocates asked Atlanta City Hall to close the detention center.

The pleas to close the detention center come after a report released earlier this month by Project South alleging poor condition. The report claims the detention center abuses the use of solitary confinement. It also states some inmates are denied proper healthcare treatment.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Report Details 'Harrowing' Conditions For Immigrants At Atlanta's City Jail

Tatiana Lima, with Women on the Rise, a racial justice advocacy group, spoke at the meeting saying the city needs to spend its money on actual public safety measures.

“Locking up people for traffic citations does not increase public safety,” Lima said. “Locking up people because they cannot afford for somewhere to go does not increase public safety. Thirty-two and a half million every single year is spent on that jail.”

Lima said the money has been a drain on the city since it only pulls in about $7 million a year in revenue.

She and other speakers also challenged the city’s civil rights history saying Atlanta should be at the forefront of making a difference in the criminal justice system.

Speakers implored the city to instead spend its money on community programs and prevention efforts.

Earlier this year, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the city would temporarily stop accepting new detainees from the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.