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| Atlanta losing money on jail |
| By ajc.com |
| Published: 03/16/2009 |
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Officials ask whether city should operate after audit By Eric Stirgus, D.L. Bennett The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday, March 16, 2009 A new corrections audit raises questions whether Atlanta should continue to operate a city jail. The report released Friday found that the city jail was over budget six of the last seven years —- despite two revenue-generating contracts to house prisoners for Fulton County and two federal agencies. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, the department was about $4 million over budget, the audit found. Both deals, the audit found, actually cost Atlanta way more money than they generate. Atlanta houses inmates for Fulton County, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at a rate of $68 per day —- a loss of about $20 a day, the auditors found. Leslie Ward, Atlanta’s internal auditor, said the city relies far too much on overtime because of chronic absenteeism among jailers. She also found that some space inside the jail isn’t properly used. “I’m starting to wonder why we are in the jail business,” Ward said. So, too, does Councilman H. Lamar Willis. “We’re dealing in desperate times,” said Willis, a criminal defense attorney. He also questioned whether the city should operate a jail. “We should at least be having these discussions.” In the last 12 months, the city has closed one fire station and temporarily closed another, ordered furloughs for police officers and cut other services to plug several revenue gaps, which the city blames on the ongoing economic recession. The city budgeted $38.5 million for the 12-month period that ends June 30 for its corrections department. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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