Sandy Springs To House Inmates at Pickens County Jail

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Inmates who have to serve sentences for violating city of Sandy Springs ordinances will now be housed in a north Georgia jail.

The Sandy Springs City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office to house inmates at its Detention Center, which is at 2985 Camp Road in Jasper.

Sandy Springs previously had an agreement with the city of Pelham to house inmates, an arrangement that started in 2010, said police spokesperson Sgt. Ron Momon.

In 2014, the facility in Mitchell County housed just under 600 prisoners serving sentences for violating Sandy Springs ordinances.

Police Chief Ken DeSimone told city leaders that he was notified earlier this month by the police chief in Pelham, which is located in southwest Georgia, that the City Council voted to halt housing inmates from outside counties. Since the change was implemented, DeSimone said Sandy Springs police have been “scrambling” to find a place to house inmantes.

He checked with Smyrna, Doraville, Fulton County and Roswell, and none of these jurisdictions could meet the city’s needs.

Pickens County will house Sandy Springs inmates for $40 per inmate per day, which is lower than the $43 per inmate per day levied by the city of Pelham. He also said Pickens County would offer transportation services for inmates four days a week.

The agreement will go into effect June 1.

DeSimone noted the city has anywhere between three and seven inmates serving sentences at any given moment. Pelham is about three and a half hours from Sandy Springs while Jasper is roughly an hour from the city.

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