How Georgia compares to the national average
Georgia’s prison death rate is approximately 70% higher than the national average.
National Average
344
deaths per 100,000 prisoners
(2018-2019 data)
Georgia
584
deaths per 100,000 prisoners
(2021 data)
Visual Comparison
National Average (344 per 100,000)
344
Georgia (584 per 100,000)
584
The Crisis in Numbers
- Homicides: Georgia’s prison homicide rate is estimated at 63 per 100,000—eight times the national rate of approximately 10-12 per 100,000
- Suicides: More than 40 per 100,000, twice the national average
- Trend: Death rates have been increasing, with 2020 and 2024 recording the highest numbers in the past two decades
- Scale: Over 1,500 people have died in GDC custody since 2020—more than one death every single day
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (National data, 2018-2019); Southern Center for Human Rights and Georgia Department of Corrections (Georgia data, 2021); UCLA Law COVID Behind Bars Data Project