Roswell Shutters City Jail, Moves Inmates To Fulton County

ROSWELL, GA -- The city of Roswell has voted to get out of the business of operating its own jail.

Council members recently voted to close the 72-hour holding facility, and enter into an agreement with Fulton County to house its inmates at its location at 901 Rice Street in Atlanta or the North Annex in Alpharetta.

Roswell operates a 72-hour holding facility for those who violate the city's ordinances. Once they surpass the three-day holding limit for the Roswell facility or receive a sentence from the city's Municipal Court, they are shipped to the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office, which was outlined in an agreement Roswell had with that agency.

The Fulton County Detention Center North Annex at 2 South Main Street in Alpharetta will now serve as the primary facility used by the city. Roswell police expect to transfer prisoners from its detention center to the Alpharetta annex on or around May 8.

Roswell plans to pay Fulton County $38 per inmate per day for those whose stay surpasses the 72-hour mark, the same rate is pays to Lumpkin County.

It currently takes about $1.5 million to operate the Roswell Detention Center, and closing the center will save about $1 million each year, the city notes. However, Roswell will still be responsible for medical expenses for its inmates.

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