After months of silence and denials about the crisis in the state prison system, Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday made a powerful statement acknowledging the troubles. He unveiled a series of recommendations to address long-standing problems, and he called for more than $600 million in additional funding for the Georgia Department of Corrections over the next 18 months.
The proposal, developed with consulting firm Guidehouse Inc., includes measures to hire more correctional and security officers, improve their pay and update their training; make emergency repairs to prison facilities; beef up the maintenance staff; and fix locks and security electronics.