Georgia’s $40 Billion Prison Experiment Failed — Violence Soared as Sentences Got Harsher

Georgia’s three-decade experiment with harsh sentencing and truth-in-sentencing laws cost taxpayers $30-40 billion while making prisons deadlier and more violent, prompting DOJ intervention and proving that deterrence-based policies fail.

Georgia’s harsh sentencing structure — including the 85 percent rule — didn’t deter crime but instead pushed the prison system toward collapse, creating record levels of violence and soaring costs. The state now faces DOJ investigations, extreme staffing shortages, and more than 100 homicides inside prisons in 2024 alone, proving that deterrence-based policies have failed catastrophically.

What GPS Documented (Original Findings)

• Georgia spent $30.6 billion in direct corrections spending from 1995-2025, with total criminal justice system costs approaching $40-50 billion (GPS analysis of GDC budget records and legislative appropriations)
• 100 homicides occurred in Georgia prisons in 2024, compared to GDC’s reported 66 (GPS analysis using prisoner reports and family interviews)
• Georgia’s 2019 prison homicide rate was 34 per 100,000 — nearly triple the national average of 12 per 100,000 (GPS analysis of DOJ data and Bureau of Justice Statistics)
• Prison homicides increased 400% from 2018 to 2023 (7 to 35 homicides) (GPS analysis of DOJ findings and GDC data)
• Total prisoner deaths reached record 332 in 2024, up 27% from prior year (GPS mortality tracking)

Data source: GPS analysis of GDC Monthly Reports, DOJ findings, and family interviews

What DOJ Already Confirmed

• Constitutional violations at Georgia prisons including inadequate medical care, excessive violence, and unsafe conditions (Pages Throughout report)
• Over 1,400 violent incidents documented across 24 prisons from January 2022 to April 2023 (Pages Violence section)
• Correctional officer vacancy rates climbed from 18% (2018) to 60% (April 2023) (Pages Staffing section)
• Nearly 20% of violent incidents involved weapons, 45% resulted in serious injury (Pages Violence analysis section)

What GDC Concealed

• Underreported homicide counts — GPS documented 100 homicides in 2024 vs. GDC’s reported 66
• Misclassified deaths — prisoners reported finding victims with broken legs who were classified as suicides
• True scope of violence — DOJ found reporting failures due to inadequate supervision

Quotables

“The idea that you can fine-tune crime by ratcheting up sentence lengths ignores everything we know about human behavior, trauma, and opportunity.”

— Georgia Prisoners’ Speak, Georgia’s $40 Billion Mistake

“One person was reported as a suicide, but prisoners there reported that the man was found hanging with two broken legs—clearly he could not have climbed up and hung himself with broken legs. Similar circumstances were common.”

— GPS analysis of prisoner reports

Story Angles

• Local: County families affected by prison violence; local taxpayer cost burden from failed policies
• Policy: $40 billion spent with worse outcomes — what alternative policies could achieve better results for less money?
• Accountability: Officials who promoted harsh sentencing despite evidence of failure; GDC officials who may be underreporting deaths
• Data: Request and analyze 30 years of corrections spending vs. outcomes; compare Georgia death rates to other states

Records Journalists Should Request

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. Annual GDC Budget Documents and Expenditure Reports — Georgia Department of Corrections
2. Prison Homicide and Death Investigation Reports — Georgia Department of Corrections
3. Legislative Appropriation Bills for Corrections — Georgia General Assembly
4. Correctional Officer Staffing Reports — Georgia Department of Corrections

Federal FOIA:

1. DOJ Civil Rights Division investigation files on Georgia prisons — DOJ Civil Rights Division
2. Bureau of Justice Statistics prison mortality data by state — Bureau of Justice Statistics

Sources Available for Interview

Families:

• Families of 2024 homicide victims

Incarcerated Witnesses:

• Incarcerated witnesses to homicides and violence, anonymous, background only

Experts:

• Not available — Not available

Officials Who Should Be Asked for Comment

• Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner — Oversees system during crisis period; responsible for reporting accuracy
• Brian Kemp, Governor — Responsible for prison system oversight and budget requests

Questions GDC Has Not Answered

1. Why does GDC’s homicide count differ significantly from GPS documentation?
2. What is GDC’s plan to address the 400% increase in homicides since 2018?
3. How does GDC justify continued harsh sentencing given the violence and cost outcomes?

Source Documents

• DOJ Findings Report on Georgia Prisons — Federal investigation documenting constitutional violations and systemic failures
• Georgia’s $40 Billion Mistake – GPS Investigation — Foundational GPS investigation into Georgia’s sentencing policies and costs
• GPS Mortality Database — Comprehensive tracking of prison deaths with family verification