PR03-026

Date:

October 11, 2003

 
Inmate Releases Continue at Fulton Jail
As Computers Are Restored
 

A computer virus that has infected county government computers last Wednesday has caused many unexpected delays in the release of inmates at the Fulton County Jail in recent days. The Fulton County Information and Technology Office, which oversees computer network operations at the county, dispatched a team of technicians to the jail late Friday in an effort to get the jail system up and running once again.

As of yesterday morning, one hundred and eleven (111) inmates were pending release from the county jail. However, the jail staff was unable to check the system for possible warrants and other agency holds due to the virus. As systems were gradually restored in other areas of the department and county government, the number of prisoners pending released dropped to sixty-three (63) by late Friday afternoon.

As technicians worked through the late evening hours, computers at the jail have been restored intermittently. As of 11:00 a.m., thirty (30) inmates are currently awaiting release from the jail. Throughout the night as deputies cleared inmates for release, some prisoners were found to have active warrants and were not released from the jail.

Technicians are working as expeditiously as possible to restore systems at the jail and throughout the county. Citizens who have questions concerning inmates pending release at the jail can call (404) 853-2239.

For more information, please contact Lieutenant Clarence Huber at (404) 730-4148. Lieutenant Huber can also be reached on his digital pager at (404) 742-6798.