Current:Home > MarketsContract security officers leave jail in Atlanta after nonpayment of contract-LoTradeCoin
Contract security officers leave jail in Atlanta after nonpayment of contract
View Date:2024-12-23 23:45:04
ATLANTA (AP) — Some security officers at a jail in Atlanta that is under federal investigation walked off the job after the Fulton County sheriff’s office failed to pay money owed to the third-party contractor that employs them, the sheriff’s office said.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it is facing “a significant budget crisis” and owed an outstanding balance of more than $1 million to Strategic Security Corp. The company notified its employees Thursday afternoon that the contract had ended, that they would be clocked out at 2:15 p.m. and that they should not report to work at the jail going forward.
The sheriff’s office said that “created an immediate safety issue” at the county’s main jail and employees from all divisions were sent to staff the jail.
Sheriff Pat Labat said that nearly 50 of the contract security officers came to the jail Thursday evening and were given conditional offers of employment and some were able to work immediately after completing paperwork. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond Friday to an email asking how many security officers were working at the jail under the contract.
The U.S. Department of Justice last year opened a civil rights investigation into jail conditions in the county, citing violence and filthy conditions. Federal authorities specifically mentioned the September 2022 death of Lashawn Thompson, one of more than a dozen people who has died in county custody over the last two years. Thompson, 35, died in a bedbug-infested cell in the jail’s psychiatric wing.
A state legislative committee formed last year to examine conditions at the jail concluded last week that more cooperation was needed between top county officials.
Labat has long acknowledged the problems and has called for a new $1.7 billion jail to replace the crumbling main jail on Rice Street. But county commissioners in July voted 4-3 instead for a $300 million project to renovate the existing jail and to build a new building to house inmates with special needs.
veryGood! (21749)
Related
- What to know about Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney, who died Friday
- Climate Change Is Happening Faster Than Expected, and It’s More Extreme
- 24-Hour Deal: Save 50% On the Drybar Interchangeable Curling Iron With 15.2K+ Sephora Loves
- Who are the Rumpels? Couple says family members were on private plane that crashed.
- The charming Russian scene-stealers of 'Anora' are also real-life best friends
- Judge agrees to reveal backers of George Santos' $500,000 bond, but keeps names hidden for now
- The new COVID booster could be the last you'll need for a year, federal officials say
- Long COVID and the labor market
- Wisconsin authorities believe kayaker staged his disappearance and fled to Europe
- Obama Rejects Keystone XL on Climate Grounds, ‘Right Here, Right Now’
Ranking
- DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
- I’ve Tried Hundreds of Celebrity Skincare Products, Here Are the 3 I Can’t Live Without
- Apple event: What to know about its Vision Pro virtual reality headset release
- GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley outlines her position on abortion: Let's humanize the issue
- New Yorkers vent their feelings over the election and the Knicks via subway tunnel sticky notes
- Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Lows Off Alaska
- When does life begin? As state laws define it, science, politics and religion clash
- Spoiler Alert: A Paul Ryan-Led House Unlikely to Shift on Climate Issues
Recommendation
-
Suspected shooter and four others are found dead in three Kansas homes, police say
-
The Most Accurate Climate Models Predict Greater Warming, Study Shows
-
These Mother's Day Gifts From Kardashian-Jenner Brands Will Make Mom Say You're Doing Amazing, Sweetie
-
Priyanka Chopra Shares How Nick Jonas “Sealed the Deal” by Writing a Song for Her
-
Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
-
Today’s Climate: June 2, 2010
-
Actors guild authorizes strike with contract set to expire at end of month
-
Dave Ramsey faces $150 million lawsuit for promoting company accused of fraud