Gwinnett jail crowded, but some cells sit empty

Metro Atlanta

Gwinnett jail crowded, but some cells sit empty

Photos: Crowded condition at Gwinnett jail, although new facility sits empty.

These inmates are housed in a cell with three bunk beds at the Gwinnett County Detention Center, but about 400 others are sleeping on the floor.

In spite of the crowded conditions, six housing units in the detention center sit empty. Sheriff Butch Conway says he can't afford to hire more deputies or to pay overtime for existing deputies to staff the unused units.

A new, $78 million jail tower opened in 2006 to alleviate overcrowding, but the sheriff says he can't afford to staff it.

About 100 inmates have been removed from the Gwinnett County Detention Center and are being housed at a city jail in south Georgia.

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These inmates are housed in a cell with three bunk beds at the Gwinnett County Detention Center, but about 400 others are sleeping on the floor.

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