Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces the members of the Reimagining Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC) Task Force. The Task Force is charged with evaluating a use for the Detention Center that could benefit the entire community.

It is a top priority of the Mayor Bottoms to put this underutilized facility to more productive use as a multi-faceted use center for wellness and healing, skills-building, economic mobility, and crime prevention for people, families and communities impacted by the history of over-incarceration.  By converting this space, the City of Atlanta seeks to invest in people to break the cycle of poverty while at the same time improving public safety in Atlanta through restorative practices and opportunities that reduce recidivism and re-build lives

“This fight for equity extends far beyond the physical walls of the Atlanta City Detention Center,” said Mayor Bottoms. “This Task Force reflects strong local leadership, willing to help us progress towards a safer, and just city. It is my hope this building will serve as an epicenter for resources, education, and training for the community. With the help of these members, I am optimistic that what is reimagined will be the future of One Atlanta.”

The Task Force consists of 25 members who will be joined by two appointees of the City Council, an advisory group membership of nine experts intimately involved with the work, and fourteen ex officio members who bring their trusted insight, expertise, and government service.  

Mayor Bottoms’ appointments to the Atlanta City Detention Center Task Force are as follows:

Task Force Committee Members:

Yussif Abubakar, Georgia Detention Watch

Attiyah Ali, A Loving Act Inc

Devin Barrington-Ward, Black Futurists Group

Antonio Brown, City of Atlanta (Appointed by the Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Legal Administration)

Jill Cartwright, Southerners On New Ground

Eugene Cooke, Grow Where You Are

Shan Cooper, Atlanta Committee for Progress

James Curran, Emory University

Scrapp DeLeon, Rapper & Actor

Derek Duncan, Trinity Community Ministries

Burrell Ellis, Attorney

Benjamin Graham, Motivation Forward Inc.

Shafeka Hashash, Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Alvin Kendall, Attorney

Kyle Kessler, Center for Civic Innovation

Amber Lawson, Aspire Construction and Real Estate Consulting

Steven Muhammad, City of Atlanta Resident

Adelina Nicholls, GA Latino Alliance for Human Rights

Alexis Rhodes, Millennials for Progress

Tiffany Roberts, Southern Center for Human Rights & the Progressive Atlanta Working Group Criminal Justice Task Force

T.I., Rapper & Actor

Rodney Turner, Mount Vernon Baptist Church

Sharon Turner, Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents

Gail Tusan, Fulton County Superior Court

Matthew Westmoreland, City of Atlanta (Appointed by the City Council President)

Toni-Michelle Williams, Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative

Elizabeth Wilson, Georgia Micro Enterprise Network

Task Force Ex Officio Committee Members:

Raines Carter, City of Atlanta, Solicitor

Ken Days, City of Atlanta, Chief Public Defender

Jason Estevez, Atlanta Public Schools, Board of Education Chair

Keith Gammage, Fulton County, Solicitor General

Natalie Hall, Fulton County, Commissioner

Bill Hawthorne, City of Atlanta, Interim Chief Resilience Officer

Nina Hickson, City of Atlanta, City Attorney

Paul Howard, Jr., Fulton County, District Attorney

Tim Keane, City of Atlanta, Commissioner of City Planning

Patrick Labat, City of Atlanta, Office of Corrections Chief

Vernon Pitts, Fulton County, Public Defender

Christopher Portis, Municipal Court of Atlanta, Chief Judge

Erika Shields, City of Atlanta, Chief of Police

Joshua Williams, City of Atlanta, Chief Operating Officer

Task Force Advisory Committee Members:

Xochitl Bervera, Racial Justice Action Center

Lindsay Caulfield, Grady Health System

David Dreyer, Georgia State Representative

Raphael Holloway, Gateway Center

Moki Macias, Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative

Bryant Marks, Morehouse College

Aaron Nicholson, Atlanta Police Foundation

Ashlee Starr, Partners for Home

Vassane Tinsley, DeKalb County School District

The Task Force members were chosen from over 100 volunteers who submitted their nominations from the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County, service providers, community organizations, residents, the academic community, the business community, the faith community, public safety representatives, and elected officials.

The first ACDC Taskforce meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, at 4-6:30 PM in the Old Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, Atlanta City Hall Tower, 68 Mitchell Street SW

The meeting will be open and accessible to the public and we welcome you to attend.