Georgia governor seeks to spend hundreds of millions more on prisons

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This is a summary of reporting published by WABE. It was not written by Georgia Prisoners’ Speak. GPS tracks coverage of Georgia’s prison system so the record stays in one place. The full article is on WABE’s own site.

Gov. Brian Kemp is proposing a big burst of new spending on Georgia’s prisons, including planning another new correctional facility and launching an extensive renovation program.

Legislators are seeking solutions to a wide range of problems plaguing prisons that have sparked a federal investigation. Among them: a sharp increase in prisoner deaths; high rates of employee turnover and arrests for criminal activity; and a persistent problem with contraband cellphones and drugs.

Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver on Tuesday unveiled a plan to amend the current year’s budget to spend $458 million before the end of June, and to increase spending in the year beginning July 1 by another $145 million.

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By Associated Press

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