Open Records Toolkit

Georgia law gives you — any member of the public — the right to request records from the Department of Corrections and from county coroners. You don't need a lawyer, a reason, or even to live in Georgia. This toolkit gives you the exact wording to use and shows you how to file.

3 business daysThe office must respond within three business days (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71).

Low cost, usuallyCopies are $0.10/page; staff time may be billed after the first 15 minutes. Keep requests narrow.

Some records are exemptMedical, security, and active-investigation records are often withheld — that's normal.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. It explains a public process and gives you templates to use yourself. For questions about a specific person's legal situation, please reach a lawyer or contact GPS.

Records from the Department of Corrections

Pick a request below, copy the text, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it on the GDC open-records portal.

Typical cost: Usually low–moderate if you keep the date range short

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request copies of all incident reports (including Serious Incident Reports) generated at [FACILITY NAME] between [START DATE] and [END DATE]. Please provide the records electronically if possible. If any portion is claimed exempt, please cite the specific exemption and produce all non-exempt portions. If the cost will exceed $25, please send an itemized estimate before proceeding.

Tip: Keep it to ONE facility and a date range of about 3 months or less — a broad, all-facility or multi-year request drives the search-time fee up fast.

What to expect: GDC often redacts security details and anything tied to an active investigation. That is normal — ask them to produce the non-exempt portions and cite the exemption for the rest.

Typical cost: Low–moderate with a short date range

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request all use-of-force reports and related documentation at [FACILITY NAME] between [START DATE] and [END DATE], including any associated review or investigation records. Please cite any exemption claimed and produce all non-exempt portions, and send an itemized estimate if the cost will exceed $25.

Tip: One facility, a tight date window. If you know a specific incident date, name it.

What to expect: Video and active-investigation material are frequently withheld or redacted.

Typical cost: Usually low

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request the authorized and filled correctional-officer positions (a staffing roster or vacancy report) for [FACILITY NAME] as of [DATE]. Names are not necessary — position counts, authorized strength, and vacancy numbers are sufficient. Please provide the records electronically.

Tip: Asking for counts (not names) keeps it cheap and avoids personnel-privacy objections.

What to expect: Individual officer identities may be withheld; aggregate counts should be releasable.

Typical cost: Usually low

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request the current master menu and any meal-service, substitution, or nutrition records for [FACILITY NAME] for [MONTH, YEAR]. Please include the planned menu and any records of meals actually served or substituted.

Tip: One facility, one month. Ask for the master menu first — it is usually cheap and revealing.

What to expect: Vendor pricing may be redacted as trade secret; the menu itself should be releasable.

Typical cost: Usually low

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request the most recent annual PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) report and the most recent PREA audit report for [FACILITY NAME].

Tip: These are periodic reports, so this stays inexpensive. Name one facility.

What to expect: Individual case details are exempt; the aggregate annual report and audit are public.

Typical cost: Low, but often heavily exempt

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request the disciplinary records and grievance records for [FULL NAME], GDC ID [NUMBER], for the period [START DATE] to [END DATE]. Please cite any exemption claimed and produce all non-exempt portions.

Tip: Include the GDC ID number — it prevents mismatches and delays.

What to expect: IMPORTANT: much of a person's own offender, medical, and disciplinary file is treated as exempt from a third-party open-records request. The incarcerated person themselves (or their attorney) often has a stronger path to their own records than an outside requester does.

How to file with GDC:

Go to the GDC open-records portal: https://georgiadcor.govqa.us/WEBAPP/_rs/
Create a free account (you'll need an email address).
Start a new records request and paste your request text into the description.
Submit. GDC must respond within 3 business days, and will send a cost estimate if there are fees.

Records from a county coroner (deaths in custody)

When someone dies in a Georgia prison, the county coroner holds key records — the death certificate (with cause and manner of death) and the investigative file. Send these to the coroner of the county where the death happened.

Typical cost: Small per-copy fee

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request a copy of the death certificate for [FULL NAME], who died on or about [DATE] at [FACILITY NAME] in [COUNTY] County, Georgia. If your office does not hold the certificate, please let me know which office does.

Tip: Send this to the coroner of the COUNTY where the death occurred (that is usually the county where the prison is located). The death certificate carries the cause and manner of death and, when there was an autopsy, the GBI DOFS case number you can then use to request the autopsy.

What to expect: Death certificates are generally releasable. If the coroner points you to Vital Records instead, that office can also provide it.

Typical cost: Small copy fee; varies by county

Request text — copy this, fill in the [BRACKETS], and file it:

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request the coroner's investigative file, inquest records, and any reports concerning the death of [FULL NAME] on or about [DATE] in [COUNTY] County, Georgia. Please include the coroner's report of death and any correspondence with the GBI or the facility.

Tip: Small county coroner offices are often more responsive than the state. Be polite and specific with the name and date.

What to expect: Portions tied to an open criminal investigation may be withheld; the report of death and inquest records are typically releasable once the case is closed.

How to file with a county coroner:

Find the coroner for the county where the facility is located (a web search for "[County] County Georgia coroner" usually finds the office and its email or mailing address).
Email or mail your request — a short, polite records request works best with small county offices.
If the coroner points you to Vital Records for the death certificate, that office can also provide it.

A note on safety. Requesting records is your legal right, and open-records requests do not name the incarcerated person as the requester. But if you're worried about retaliation against a loved one inside, you can ask for facility-wide records (incident reports, staffing, menus) rather than one person's file — those tell the story without singling anyone out. GPS never publishes a living incarcerated person's identifying details.

Got a response back? GPS is building a way for you to send it to us so it helps document the pattern (coming soon). In the meantime, you can always share it with GPS.