Workers and inmates report human rights crisis at Coastal State Prison
Federal investigation found Georgia prisons failing to protect inmates from violence and unconstitutional conditions
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Workers and inmates at Coastal State Prison are reporting what they call a human rights crisis, echoing findings from a federal investigation into Georgia’s prison system.
A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice investigation found Georgia prisons, including Coastal State, are failing to protect inmates from violence, neglect, and unconstitutional conditions. Two employees and an inmate inside Coastal State told WTOC Investigates those failures are happening in Savannah. They spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation.
Prison conditions mirror statewide crisis
Coastal State Prison, a medium-security facility designed to house roughly 1,800 inmates, sits just miles from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. According to two prison workers and an inmate, what’s happening inside mirrors what the U.S. Department of Justice calls a systemic crisis across Georgia’s prisons.
“There are tons of countries that we call third world countries that put their prisoners in these conditions. And, you know, we do call them out for it. But it’s happening here and people don’t seem to bat an eye about it,” one employee said.
In the 2024 report, the DOJ concluded the Georgia Department of Corrections violates the 8th Amendment by failing to protect inmates from violence and failing to provide reasonably safe conditions. Two employees of Coastal State Prison said they see it every day.
“You have to do something with people or they’re going to, you know, just kind of turn into Lord of the Flies,” another employee said.
Infrastructure and sanitation problems
The workers described crumbling infrastructure and unsanitary conditions, black mold throughout housing units, rat and mice infestations, and frequent air conditioning and heating failures. The DOJ report found similar conditions statewide, citing understaffing and poor maintenance.
WTOC Investigates requested maintenance records from Coastal State Prison from May to November 2025, including records that show money spent on pest control and mold remediation. The Department of Corrections said they don’t have any records related to mold remediation. The records show over $5,000 was spent on pest control over that six-month period.
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Violence and lockdowns
Employees said the most alarming issue at Coastal State is violence, both inmate-on-inmate and staff-on-inmate. Georgia Department of Corrections records show no correctional officers were disciplined for violence against inmates over a six-month period in 2025, but one employee said it’s a common occurrence.
“Most of the staff is fine. But then there are some who are brutal. They seem to look forward to being able to hurt people,” the employee said.
When asked if they had observed officers brutalizing inmates, the employee said, “Pretty regularly. When I walked into work the other day, I could hear screams, just like my entire walk to my building. When I got to the building, I realized that that was someone that was being beaten.”
Both workers and an inmate told WTOC Investigates that violence frequently leads to mass lockdowns, where entire dorms are confined to their cells for days or weeks at a time.
“We were waiting anywhere from seven to 10 days to get a shower,” the inmate said of a recent lockdown.
The DOJ report criticized Georgia prisons, including Coastal State, for overusing lockdowns and isolation, particularly on victims of sexual abuse.
Impact on rehabilitation programs
At Coastal State, lockdowns also prevent inmates from attending classes or programs needed to earn Performance Incentive Credits, or PIC points.
“They do things for PIC points, so that they can qualify for early parole. And so, all of these things that they can do to better themselves, so that when they get out, they have a better chance of employment and, a better chance of being able to rebuild their life. When they’re in lockdown, they don’t have access to it,” one employee said.
Documents obtained by WTOC Investigates show inmates at Coastal State repeatedly missed classes due to lockdowns during a six month period in 2025.
Food access concerns
Food access is another concern. One employee said if inmates don’t cooperate with orders, staff will withhold food from them.
“There have been instances when inmates would be asleep, and the officer would not wake them up for the meal call, and afterwards they just would refuse food to them,” the employee said.
Another employee said any appearance of not following rules results in denial of food. “Any appearance of not being on their P’s and Q’s, then they’ll just be told, ‘No, you can’t eat.’ Which is confusing to me because food’s not a privilege. I don’t understand how you can just not feed people.”
The inmate said food quality has been poor. “It’s been pretty poor on the food. A lot of the guys in here have lost a lot of weight.”
Both the inmate and workers said these issues only scratch the surface of what’s happening at Coastal State Prison, though they recognize getting the public to care is an uphill battle.
“They’ve been sentenced, but their sentence doesn’t include abuse and neglect. They’re going to be locked away from society for however long. And hopefully the person that’s coming back out isn’t worse,” one employee said.
“We’re still human. We still have families out there. We still have children out there. So we most definitely are asking for, for help,” the inmate said.
WTOC Investigates reached out to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, which contributed to the DOJ investigation, to find out what measures have been taken after the report. The office declined to comment.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Tuesday that a federal judge in Georgia’s Middle District scolded Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver for “failure to comply with court orders” and asked whether the GDC “deems itself ‘above the law’”.
We also reached out to the Department of Corrections, and Coastal State Prison Warden Phillip Glenn, about all the issues mentioned in this story and never received a response.
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