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Fulton County Jail

901 Rice St NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
ph. (404) 853-2000

Interview with Emily, Kelly, Bill, Leroy, Katrina, Billy and Cory

JM: How long was your sentencing for?
Emily: 7 years
Kelly: I was in jail for three weeks.
Bill: The case will likely be dropped.
Leroy: My jail sentenc was for 1 month
Katrina: Five years to serve two
Billy: I was sentenced for 3 months
Cory: Prison 2 years to serve.

JM: Did you spend time in a holding cell after your sentencing? If so, what was that like? If you didn't where did they they take you instead?
Kelly: I was in the holding cell for 12 hours. I had to wait in holding for that long before placed into a cell area.
Bill: Yes. The holding waas very uncomfortable, very cold, and the food consisted of 2 pieces of bread, a slice of bologna, and a packet of mustard.
Leroy: No i did not spend any time in a holding cell at court when i was found guilty I was told how much time i had to spend and when and where to report after court I went home
Katrina: After I was sentenced I sat in a holding cell with chains and shackals on for at least two hours before I was placed in another holding cell for five hours
Billy: The longest i sat in the holding cell 6 hours before court. Iwas placed back in the holding cell after court and we didnt leave till after 5 pm. Its was stanky, and dirty
Cory: After sentencing you are placed in a hot holding cell with 20+ inmates using the same bathroom stall in front of each other, whether it's number one or two. Disgusting.

Life On The Inside
As anyone who has spent any time in a jail situation will tell you "lock down" is a part of the normal routine of a prison. A lock down occurs when there is some trouble among the population forcing prison officials to literally lock down the inmates in their cells while that situation is sorted out. Lock down can also be used as a proverbial cooling-off period. Think of it as a timeout for prisoners.

A lock down can last anywhere from a couple of hours to several days. During that time all activities are restricted including telephone access and visitation. It is conceivable that two inmates who get into a fight in one cell block can actually cause a lock down of the entire prison.

In the Fulton County jail, former inmates had some nice things to say about their fellow prisoners they were spending time with. They found overall that the inmates were very helpful when it came to showing them the ropes. It all comes down to a question of attitude. In other words, take the chip off your shoulder and you should do fine. The same inmates even said that the meals were "adequate." High praise indeed.

When not lock down the inmates can benefit from 30 minutes a day in the gym. They also have access to TV, board games and cards.

Good Behavior Policy
The good behavior policy in the state of Georgia depends on whether you're in the county or the state prison system. In the state prison system you can forget about time off for good behavior. That was abolished in 1994 when the state enacted a "two-strikes" law. For those persons who find themselves in the county prison system they earn a day off for every day served provided they stay out of trouble.

Visitor and Phone Policy
The Fulton County jail recently upgraded its visitation policy. Now inmates and their visitors spend time by way of video conference. A visitor sets up an appointment and reports to the visitation center where they will have access to a two-way monitor system. On the other end of that system the inmate will report to his or her unit's own visitation center.

The reason behind this is to cut down on the amount of contraband coming into the jail. Visitors can register for their appointment on line and received confirmation through e-mail. They should arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment in order to be checked in by the corrections staff. Each visit lasts for 25 minutes and inmates are allowed one visit per week.

Outside of lock down, inmates are granted access to telephones they can use to make collect calls throughout the day and night.

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