Fulton's Chief Jailer Graduates From FBI National Academy

ATLANTA, GA -- Fulton County Sheriff's Office Colonel Mark Adger joins an elite group of law enforcement professionals upon his graduation from the FBI National Academy Program at Quantico, Virginia.

A ceremony was held Friday, and all 224 members of the 269th class graduated from the National Academy. The graduates included law enforcement officers from 48 states, 22 countries, five military organizations and six federal civilian organizations. The 10-week course is strenuous and only a select number of public safety executives are granted admission to the prestigious program.

Sheriff Ted Jackson, a 33-year veteran of the FBI retired as Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta office, appointed Colonel Mark Adger to serve as chief jailer to manage the Fulton County Jail system with more than 665 employees under his command. The Fulton County Jail staff processed 23,363 inmates in 2016 (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Colonel Adger recently served as a consultant for the A&E Network documentary series "60 Days In," which chronicles jail life for citizens who pose as inmates during an undercover experiment. 60 Days In: Atlanta proved to be a useful tool in studying the operations of the Fulton Jail and "disrupting the infiltration of contraband into the facility at 901 Rice Street," the sheriff's office added.

Colonel Adger began his career with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in 1986 as a sheriff’s deputy. Since that time, he has served as a senior instructor trainer and S.W.A.T. team (Special Weapons And Tactics) commander from 1996 to 2009 and FCSO Training Unit commander from 2005 to 2009.

Colonel Adger is an alumnus of Georgia State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Colonel Adger is a former member of the Marine Corps Reserves.

Photo: Col. Mark Adger. Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office