Georgia Spends $1.6 Billion on Prison Construction While Ignoring DOJ Violence Reforms

Despite federal findings that Georgia prisons violate the Constitution through 'deliberate indifference' to lethal violence, the state continues spending $1.6 billion on new construction while refusing to implement nine proven reforms that could prevent predictable homicides.

Georgia's prison homicides are outpacing last year's totals, with June 2025 being the deadliest month so far—a predictable outcome of policies the Georgia Department of Corrections refuses to change despite federal findings of constitutional violations. The state is spending over $1.6 billion on new construction while ignoring nine proven reforms that could end the killing, including the most urgent fix: single-cell segregation to stop murders in 'the hole.'

Facility Breakdown

What GPS Documented (Original Findings)

• Georgia recorded 333 deaths in 2024 alone, with over 100 homicides (GPS mortality database analysis)
• Georgia is spending over $1.6 billion on new prison construction, including $24 million for a 'hardened' unit at Hays State Prison and $451 million for a 3,000-bed mega-prison in Washington County (GPS analysis of state construction spending)
• Taylor Hunt died at Rogers State Prison in September 2024 under circumstances his family disputes as suicide, with purported suicide letters containing misspellings of his own children's names (Family statement and GPS investigation)

Data source: GPS analysis of GDC Monthly Reports, state budget documents, and family interviews

What DOJ Already Confirmed

• Georgia's prisons violate the Constitution and the state is 'deliberately indifferent' to lethal violence (Pages Multiple findings throughout report)
• Deaths are misclassified, investigations are delayed, and violence is allowed to metastasize (Pages Investigation and classification sections)
• Under-reporting of homicides, poor incident investigations, and failure to protect inmates (Pages Violence and protection findings)

What GDC Concealed

• True circumstances of Taylor Hunt's death at Rogers State Prison remain sealed 14 months after death
• No public response to DOJ findings of constitutional violations or timeline for implementing reforms
• Actual homicide statistics may be higher than reported due to DOJ-confirmed misclassification practices

Quotables

“Those letters, purportedly written by Taylor to his family, contained misspellings of his own children's names—something Heather said her son would never have done. To her, and to anyone who knew Taylor, they were obvious forgeries meant to prop up an official narrative.”

— Heather Hunt (Taylor Hunt's mother)

“We'll say it plainly: Georgia doesn't need another commission. It needs to implement nine fixes we've already laid out—plus one urgent change for the hole—to stop the killing now.”

— Georgia Prisoners' Speak analysis

Story Angles

• Local: Focus on families in specific counties affected by prison deaths, including Tattnall County (Taylor Hunt case) and Washington County (new mega-prison construction)
• Policy: Compare Georgia's $1.6 billion construction spending vs. California's $239 million rehabilitation investment and Mississippi's reform successes
• Accountability: Track which officials ignored DOJ warnings and why no reforms have been implemented despite constitutional violations
• Data: Analyze death classification discrepancies, homicide trends, and construction spending vs. violence reduction outcomes

Records Journalists Should Request

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. Taylor Hunt Death Investigation File — Georgia Department of Corrections
2. Taylor Hunt Autopsy Report and Medical Examiner Records — Tattnall County Coroner, GBI Medical Examiner's Office, Gwinnett County Medical Examiner
3. Prison Construction Contracts and Budget Documents — Georgia Department of Corrections
4. GDC Homicide and Death Statistics — Georgia Department of Corrections

Federal FOIA:

1. DOJ Investigation Communications with Georgia Officials — DOJ Civil Rights Division

Sources Available for Interview

Families:

• Heather Hunt, mother of Taylor Hunt

Incarcerated Witnesses:

• Incarcerated witnesses to violence and conditions, anonymous background only

Experts:

• Available through GPS network — Prison reform organizations and academic institutions

Officials Who Should Be Asked for Comment

• Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner, Commissioner — Ultimate authority for implementing DOJ-recommended reforms and responding to constitutional violations
• Brad Anderson, Coroner — Involved in Taylor Hunt death investigation and autopsy process
• Rogers State Prison Warden, Warden — Direct oversight of facility where Taylor Hunt died under disputed circumstances

Questions GDC Has Not Answered

1. Why do autopsy and investigation reports remain sealed 14 months after Taylor Hunt's death?
2. How will the state respond to DOJ findings of constitutional violations?
3. Will Georgia implement any of the nine proposed violence reduction reforms?
4. What specific features will the new $1.6 billion in prison construction include to address violence?

Source Documents

• DOJ Findings Report on Georgia Prisons — Federal investigation findings documenting constitutional violations and deliberate indifference to violence
• GPS Mortality Database — Comprehensive tracking of Georgia prison deaths with family verification and official record analysis
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution Prison Coverage — Recent reporting on Georgia prison homicide statistics and trends