NEWS BRIEF: Cobb County jail using technology to save lives
Deaths lead to alternative monitoring
Six people have died in the Cobb County jail since Sheriff Craig Owens took office in November 2020, including three in the past month, prompting the local police department to implement the use of electronic bracelets that monitor inmates’ vital signs.
The jail is the first in the country to test a device that alerts staff of problems with the health of detainees. Last year, Owens launched a round-the-clock mental health program for detainees that he says is the first of its kind in Georgia. The facility, which can hold up to 3,000 prisoners, is reportedly understaffed. “Technology is a way for us to be successful in the future. It helps us save taxpayers money, be more efficient, provide the best possible health and mental health care that we can to citizens of Cobb County,” Owens said. wabe.org