Fulton County Sheriff’s candidate Kirt Beasley, who is challenging embattled Sheriff Pat Labat in the Democratic primary, questioned the veracity of reports about the Fulton County Jail that began during Labat’s tenure.
Reports from the jail claim the walls are crumbling to such a degree that inmates are able to disassemble them to create makeshift weapons, and at least two inmates were entrusted by Labat to testify about the jail’s conditions to the Fulton County Commission last year.
Beasley (pictured above) was unconvinced of the jail’s deteriorating conditions in a recent radio interview with WAOK-AM.
Noting she managed the jail from 2015-2017, under former Sheriff Jackie Barrett-Washington, Beasley told People Passion and Politics, “In my opinion, I don’t think we need a new jail at this time.”
Beasley argued the jail should instead be repaired, “but after repairing we have to have some control. Repair without control, we’re right back in the same place we started.”
Former Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort, who interviewed Beasley for the program, then raised the reports of the jail’s walls crumbling to the point where pieces can be used as weapons and asked Beasley if she wanted the walls fixed.
“Those are the type of repairs we are talking about,” Beasley confirmed, then countered, “but I didn’t have anybody go through a wall, a cinder block wall, when I was running the jail in 2017.”
She continued, “I don’t know how that could happen, I’m very interested in finding out. That would be one of the first things I want to do.”
If elected, Beasley told Fort she would conduct a “functional audit” of the jail.
“I will assess and walk that entire jail, and physically touch on these walls that I’ve heard about, where it’s said that people can just reach into a wall and take out a man-made weapon,” said Beasley.
A proposed new jail for Fulton County was revealed to commissioners last December. With a price tag of $1.7 billion, it would be complete in 2031 and first open its doors in 2029. About a third of the new facility would be dedicated to a medical wing.
The plans for a new jail were unveiled after Labat and his agency were accused of using the Inmate Welfare Fund as a slush fund for frivolous expenses. These included ham giveaways, department vehicle purchases, gift cards, and party supplies.
Labat’s resignation was demanded by Georgia State Senator Joshua McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs), who said the jail was in “crisis” under his watch.
Three inmates have died at the troubled jail so far in 2024. Last year, there were 10 inmate deaths recorded at the facility.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kirt Beasley” by Beasley for Fulton Sheriff.
