Executive Summary
Georgia’s prison system faces interconnected crises requiring immediate legislative intervention and substantial budget appropriations. A comprehensive system-wide assessment commissioned by Governor Brian Kemp reveals emergency-level staffing vacancies, catastrophic infrastructure failures, and security breakdowns across the Georgia Department of Corrections’ 34 state prisons managing approximately 49,000 people.
Critical findings requiring immediate action:
Emergency staffing crisis: 20 state prisons operate with vacancy rates of 30-69.9%, far exceeding the 10% industry standard. From January 2021 through November 2024, 82.7% of correctional officers left employment during their first year.
Security threat escalation: The Security Threat Group population nearly doubled from 7,585 (FY2015) to 15,590 (FY2024), now comprising 33.4% of the total state prison population.
Infrastructure catastrophe: 29 of 34 state prisons require critical infrastructure upgrades. Widespread lock failures enable unauthorized movement and contraband access.
Medical capacity strain: Only 410 medical beds serve approximately 49,000 people, resulting in 21,161 accumulated days of external hospital stays in CY2023, requiring two officers per person and further depleting facility staffing.
Budget deficit consequences: Historic funding constraints ($8 million in FY2018, $2.5 million in FY2019 for capital improvements) created deferred maintenance accumulation. FY2024 appropriations totaling $684.4 million represent progress but insufficient scale for systemic repair.
Despite these challenges, GDC has implemented innovative programming including the Metro Reentry Facility, mobile vocational training, and Success Coach initiatives that reduced training academy failures by 34% and voluntary withdrawals by 44%.
Key Takeaway: Georgia’s prison system requires immediate legislative action on staffing, infrastructure funding, and comprehensive strategic planning to address interconnected crises threatening public safety and operational sustainability.
Fiscal Impact
Georgia legislators face critical budget decisions affecting both immediate operational costs and long-term taxpayer liability.
Current Budget Allocations (FY2024):
– Total capital planning: $684.4 million
– New Washington State Prison construction: $436.7 million (1,500-person capacity)
– McRae facility purchase (women’s classification center): $130 million
– Cash funding for maintenance, security, renovations: $135.4 million
Operational Cost Drivers:
Medical Transportation Burden: Limited medical bed capacity (410 beds for 49,000 people) necessitates extensive external medical trips:
– 21,161 accumulated overnight hospital days (CY2023)
– 6,907 hospital day trips (CY2023)
– 9,739 routine medical trips (CY2023)
– Each trip requires two correctional officers per person, multiplying staffing costs
Staffing Crisis Economics: The 82.7% first-year turnover rate creates continuous recruitment and training costs without equivalent operational capacity gains. Entry salary for Correctional Officer 1 ($44,044) significantly lags other Georgia law enforcement:
– Georgia State Patrol Trooper upon graduation: $63,684 (44.5% higher)
– DPS MCCD-MCO1: $56,900 (29.2% higher)
– DNR Game Warden: $52,236 (18.6% higher)
– DCS Community Supervision Officer 1: $50,080 (13.7% higher)
Deferred Maintenance Accumulation: Historic budget constraints created infrastructure crisis:
– FY2018: $8 million capital improvements
– FY2019: $2.5 million capital improvements
– 29 of 34 facilities now require critical upgrades
– 25 of 26 infrastructure categories scored between “fair and poor”
– Maintenance staff vacancy rate: 36%
Programming Collapse: Teacher salary reductions of approximately $30,000 in 2019 increased vacancy rates from 32% (2018) to 57% (2024), resulting in:
– 50% decrease in GED completions: 2,935 (FY2019) to 1,493 (FY2023)
– Reduced programming capacity increases security incidents and recidivism costs
Comparative Context:
Georgia’s imprisonment rate (435 per 100,000 residents in 2022) is 22.5% above the national average of 355 per 100,000, ranking 5th among comparable southern states — below Mississippi (661), Louisiana (596), Arkansas (574), and Texas (452), but above Alabama (390), Florida (377), Tennessee (334), South Carolina (302), and North Carolina (268). Georgia’s violent crime rate (340 per 100,000 in 2019) falls below the national average (379 per 100,000), suggesting the high incarceration rate is driven more by sentencing and release policies than by crime levels. The population composition has shifted toward longer-term serious violent offenders (15,731 in 2024 versus 13,975 in 2015), requiring different management approaches with associated cost implications.
Cost of Inaction:
Continued staffing shortages, infrastructure failures, and lock malfunctions create conditions enabling Security Threat Group operations, contraband introduction, and safety incidents. These operational failures generate:
– Litigation liability exposure
– Federal oversight intervention risk
– Increased recidivism (current rate: 27%)
– Community safety threats from inadequate supervision
Return on Investment:
The assessment identifies proven cost-effective innovations:
– Augusta State Medical Prison dialysis unit prevents approximately 176 medical trips per week
– Success Coach program reduced BCOT academic failures by 34% and voluntary withdrawals by 44%
– Metro Reentry Facility model targets reduction in GDC’s 27% recidivism rate
– On-the-job certification programs: 19,292 completions (FY2024) versus 17,332 (FY2023)
Expanding these evidence-based initiatives provides measurable taxpayer value while addressing systemic failures.
Key Takeaway: FY2024’s $684.4 million capital investment represents progress but insufficient scale; addressing staffing compensation gaps, medical infrastructure, and deferred maintenance requires sustained multi-year appropriations to prevent exponentially costlier federal intervention or public safety failures.
Key Findings
The system-wide assessment conducted by Guidehouse, The Moss Group, and CGL Companies identified critical operational failures requiring immediate legislative intervention:
Emergency-Level Staffing Crisis:
20 state prisons operate with vacancy rates exceeding the 10% American Correctional Association industry standard over 18 months. Current conditions:
– 2 facilities: 50-69.9% vacancy rates
– 4 facilities: 30-49.9% vacancy rates
– Additional facilities significantly above standard
– Overall workforce decreased by 2,772 employees (2019-2023) while maintaining stable population of approximately 49,000 people
Turnover analysis reveals systemic recruitment and retention failure:
– 82.7% of correctional officers left employment during their first year (January 2021-November 2024)
– Breakdown: 2.9% terminated day of hire, 13.7% left in less than 1 month, 22.8% in 1-3 months, 22.2% in 3-6 months, 21.0% in 6-12 months
– BCOT graduation rate: 74.2% (FY2024) — of 1,288 accepted applicants, 1,205 started and 902 graduated
– May-October 2024: Only 118 correctional officers hired per 800 applications
Security Threat Group Escalation:
Gang population increased from 7,585 (FY2015) to 15,590 (FY2024):
– 33.4% of total state prison population (34,901) identified as STG members as of November 1, 2024
– 11,931 male individuals (36% of male population) documented STG members
– 256 female individuals documented STG members
– Increase correlates directly with severe staffing shortages enabling gang operations
Catastrophic Infrastructure Failures:
January 2023 internal evaluation found:
– 25 of 26 infrastructure categories scored between “fair and poor”
– 11 categories scored 3.5 or above (scale: 3=Fair, 4=Poor, 5=Extremely Poor)
– 29 of 34 state prisons require critical infrastructure upgrades
– Most facilities constructed over 30 years ago
Specific security failures:
– Hollow metal doors scored 3.9 (poor)
– Lock control systems scored 3.8 (poor)
– Sallyports scored 3.4 (fair)
– Assessment team observed failed cell locks, damaged doors, accessible pipe chases and roofs across facilities
– Widespread lock failures enable unauthorized movement, contraband access, STG activity
– Maintenance staff vacancy rate: 36%, preventing timely infrastructure repairs
Medical Capacity Crisis:
GDC operates 410 medical beds for approximately 49,000 people:
– 331 male beds at regular facilities
– 26 female beds at regular facilities
– 53 beds at Helms Facility
External medical burden (CY2023):
– 21,161 accumulated overnight hospital days
– 6,907 hospital day trips
– 9,739 routine medical trips
– Each trip requires two correctional officers per person, severely impacting facility staffing
Positive development: Augusta State Medical Prison dialysis unit prevents approximately 176 medical trips per week by providing community-level services inside the facility.
Contraband Introduction Escalation:
Cell phones seized:
– 2021: 14,766
– 2022: 16,058
– 2023: 16,840
– 2024: 13,875 (partial year)
Drone incidents:
– FY2023: 284 incidents, 68 drones seized
– FY2024: 434 incidents, 166 drones seized
Contributing factors: sophisticated criminal enterprise, low staffing, infrastructure weaknesses, advanced drone technology.
Programming Collapse:
Teacher salary reductions of approximately $30,000 (2019 budget decrease) caused:
– Vacancy rate increase: 32% (2018) to 57% (2024)
– GED completions decreased 50%: 2,935 (FY2019) to 1,493 (FY2023)
– Counseling vacancy rate: 35.61%
Population challenges:
– 50.2% of population (24,966 individuals as of November 2024) ineligible for Performance Incentive Credit points due to conviction type
– Most admissions lack high school-level academic proficiency in reading, math, spelling (WRAT-5 assessment data)
– Limited programming creates idleness, increasing security risks
Classification System Deficiencies:
Next Generation Assessment (NGA) developed in 2013, requires revalidation every five years but currently overdue. Factors impacting accuracy:
– Lack of PREA reporting culture
– Unobserved disciplinary issues due to staffing shortages
– Inconsistent STG intelligence use
– Automated process limiting staff insight into individual cases
PREA Reporting Barriers:
FY2023 allegations analysis suggests significant underreporting:
– 819 total allegations
– 57 (7%) substantiated — event most likely occurred
– 369 (45%) event most likely did not occur
– 330 (40%) insufficient evidence to determine
– 63 (8%) not PREA-related
Barriers identified:
– Staff attitudes discouraging reporting
– Fear of retaliation
– Lack of centralized investigations
– Limited SAFE/SANE access for forensic examinations
Positive Innovations:
Despite systemic challenges, assessment identified effective programs:
– Metro Reentry Facility comprehensive four-level program with over 100 volunteers
– Success Coach program: reduced BCOT academic failures by 34%, voluntary withdrawals by 44% within six months
– Life University partnership: 24 current individuals obtained Associate of Arts and Bachelor’s degrees; three released individuals pursuing Master’s degrees
– Mobile vocational training: 343 completions (FY2024) versus 269 (FY2023)
– On-the-job certifications: 19,292 (FY2024) versus 17,332 (FY2023)
– Fire Services Unit: 19 stations responding to 3,000 annual calls; 40 individuals hired as community firefighters upon release
– 6,147 active volunteers (FY2024) supporting programming
Population Management Challenges:
- Criminal justice reform measures limiting early release combined with serious violent offender population increase (13,975 in 2015 to 15,731 in 2024) create longer-term incarceration
- Parole releases decreased 38%: 9,455 (FY2019) to 5,863 (FY2023)
- Total releases declining while admissions recovering from COVID-19 pandemic lows
- 45.9% of releases (CY2014-CY2023) due to sentence expiration; 37.9% through parole certificate
Key Takeaway: Georgia’s prison system operates in emergency conditions across staffing, infrastructure, and security, requiring comprehensive legislative response addressing compensation, capital investment, and strategic planning while scaling proven innovations like Success Coach programs and Metro Reentry Facility model.
Comparable States
Incarceration Rate Context (2022 data, imprisonment rate per 100,000 residents):
Georgia (435) ranks 5th among comparable southern states — 22.5% above the national average of 355:
– Mississippi: 661 (highest)
– Louisiana: 596
– Arkansas: 574
– Texas: 452
– Georgia: 435
– Alabama: 390
– Florida: 377
– Tennessee: 334
– South Carolina: 302
– North Carolina: 268 (lowest)
Georgia’s rate increased from 427 (2021) to 435 (2022).
Violent Crime Incidents Context (2019 FBI data, per 100,000 residents):
Georgia (340) demonstrates lower violent crime rate than several comparable states and the national average (379):
– Tennessee: 595 (highest)
– Arkansas: 584
– Louisiana: 549
– South Carolina: 511
– Alabama: 510
– Florida: 378
– North Carolina: 372
– Georgia: 340
– Mississippi: 278 (lowest)
Georgia reported 36,170 total violent crime incidents in 2019.
Note: The source document does not provide detailed comparative data on other states’ correctional staffing levels, infrastructure conditions, Security Threat Group management strategies, or budget allocations. The assessment focuses primarily on Georgia’s internal operations and benchmarks against American Correctional Association industry standards rather than state-by-state operational comparisons.
For comprehensive policy development, legislators may wish to request supplemental analysis examining:
– Correctional officer compensation structures in comparable southern states
– Capital improvement budget trends in peer correctional systems
– Staffing ratio requirements and vacancy rate management approaches
– Security Threat Group intervention strategies and outcomes
– Medical infrastructure models reducing external transportation needs
– Classification system validation practices and timelines
Key Takeaway: Georgia’s incarceration rate (435 per 100,000) exceeds the national average by 22.5% despite a below-average violent crime rate (340 per 100,000), suggesting high incarceration is driven more by sentencing and release policies than by crime levels. Operational challenges stem from internal systemic failures rather than disproportionate population burdens compared to peer states.
Policy Recommendations
Based on the comprehensive assessment findings, the following evidence-based policy recommendations address interconnected workforce, infrastructure, and operational challenges:
Immediate Legislative Priorities:
1. Comprehensive Staffing Analysis and Compensation Reform
Problem: Last comprehensive staffing analysis conducted approximately ten years ago. Current entry salary for Correctional Officer 1 ($44,044) lags comparable Georgia law enforcement positions by 13.7-44.5%. First-year turnover rate: 82.7%.
Legislative Action Required:
– Appropriate funding for independent staffing analysis determining evidence-based position requirements across security, medical, maintenance, and programming functions
– Establish competitive compensation structure aligned with comparable state law enforcement agencies
– Address salary compression where correctional officers earn more than degreed positions (teachers, counselors), creating recruitment challenges for specialized roles
– Authorize retention bonuses and career pathway incentives for tenured staff
Fiscal Note: Teacher salary reductions of approximately $30,000 (2019) directly caused vacancy increase from 32% to 57% and 50% GED completion decline. Investing in competitive compensation prevents exponentially costlier programming collapse and security failures.
2. Emergency Infrastructure Stabilization Funding
Problem: 29 of 34 facilities require critical infrastructure upgrades. Widespread lock failures enable contraband access and unauthorized movement. Historic budget constraints ($8M in FY2018, $2.5M in FY2019) created deferred maintenance crisis.
Legislative Action Required:
– Multi-year capital appropriation addressing:
– Lock system replacement and repair across all facilities
– Hollow metal doors (scored 3.9/5.0 – poor condition)
– Lock control systems (scored 3.8/5.0 – poor condition)
– Sallyports (scored 3.4/5.0 – fair condition)
– Critical plumbing, electrical, HVAC systems
– Prioritize security-critical repairs enabling basic custody functions
– Address 36% maintenance staff vacancy through competitive compensation
Fiscal Note: FY2024 appropriation ($684.4M total, including $436.7M new Washington facility) represents progress but insufficient scale for system-wide stabilization. Deferred maintenance costs compound exponentially.
3. Medical Infrastructure Expansion
Problem: 410 medical beds serve approximately 49,000 people. CY2023 external medical burden: 21,161 overnight hospital days, 6,907 hospital day trips, 9,739 routine medical trips — each requiring two correctional officers, severely depleting facility staffing.
Legislative Action Required:
– Appropriate funding for additional infirmary and acute care bed capacity at strategically selected facilities
– Expand proven Augusta State Medical Prison model:
– Dialysis unit preventing approximately 176 weekly medical trips
– Mobile MRI/CAT scan units
– Telehealth infrastructure
– Outpatient surgical unit (recently relocated to Coastal State Prison)
– Authorize partnerships with medical schools and community providers for specialized services
Fiscal Note: Each prevented external medical trip eliminates two-officer escort requirement. Medical infrastructure investment directly reduces operational staffing burden while improving health outcomes.
4. Classification System Validation and Reform
Problem: Next Generation Assessment (NGA) overdue for required five-year revalidation (developed 2013). Current system accuracy compromised by inadequate data input from under-reported disciplinary incidents and PREA allegations.
Legislative Action Required:
– Mandate immediate NGA revalidation by qualified independent research entity
– Restore Office of Research and Planning capacity (eliminated over decade ago due to budget cuts)
– Establish ongoing validation requirements with accountability measures
– Address data quality issues through:
– Enhanced PREA reporting mechanisms and investigations
– Disciplinary reporting protocols accounting for understaffing realities
– STG intelligence integration into classification decisions
Fiscal Note: Misclassification creates security risks and inefficient resource allocation. Evidence-based classification enables appropriate housing and programming placement.
5. Performance Incentive Credit Expansion
Problem: 50.2% of population (24,966 individuals as of November 2024) ineligible for Performance Incentive Credit points due to conviction type. Limited incentives contribute to idleness and security risks. On-the-job certification benefits unavailable to all individuals.
Legislative Action Required:
– Modify Georgia law enabling all individuals to receive on-the-job training certifications regardless of conviction type
– Expand PIC point eligibility where public safety permits
– Create alternative incentive structures for long-term and life-sentenced populations
– Authorize expanded Lifers and Long-Term Offender Program as mentorship pathway
Fiscal Note: On-the-job certifications increased from 17,332 (FY2023) to 19,292 (FY2024). Expanding proven programming reduces idleness-related security incidents and supports reentry outcomes.
6. Training Academy Modernization
Problem: Basic Correctional Officer Training content reflects policy requirements rather than actual working conditions. Materials lack supporting curriculum guides. Learning Management System outdated. Disconnect between BCOT expectations and facility realities contributes to 82.7% first-year turnover.
Legislative Action Required:
– Appropriate funding for comprehensive job task analysis informing curriculum redesign
– Modernize Learning Management System infrastructure
– Expand Success Coach program (reduced academic failures by 34%, voluntary withdrawals by 44%)
– Develop formalized career pathways and professional development structure
– Update appearance policies (e.g., dreadlock prohibition) to expand qualified applicant pool
Fiscal Note: BCOT graduation rate: 74.2% (FY2024). Success Coach program demonstrates measurable retention improvement. Investment in effective training reduces costly turnover cycle.
7. PREA Compliance Enhancement
Problem: FY2023 substantiation rate (7%) suggests significant underreporting. Barriers include staff attitudes, fear of retaliation, lack of centralized investigations, limited SAFE/SANE access.
Legislative Action Required:
– Mandate centralized PREA investigation unit
– Establish SAFE/SANE access protocols at all facilities
– Require annual independent PREA audits with public reporting
– Authorize funding for specialized investigator positions
– Implement confidential reporting mechanisms
Fiscal Note: Federal PREA compliance protects against Department of Justice intervention and associated costs. Effective sexual safety programs reduce litigation liability.
8. Strategic Planning and Research Capacity
Problem: Office of Research and Planning eliminated over decade ago. Current data collection provides diagnostic dashboards but lacks advanced analytics, strategic planning, and research/evaluation capacity. No comprehensive strategic plan or capital improvement plan with asset management approach.
Legislative Action Required:
– Restore Office of Research and Planning with appropriations for qualified staff
– Mandate development of:
– Comprehensive five-year strategic plan
– Evidence-based capital improvement plan with asset management methodology
– Predictive analytics capacity informing budget requests and policy decisions
– Program evaluation requirements with outcome measurement
– Establish legislative reporting requirements ensuring accountability
Fiscal Note: Evidence-based decision-making prevents costly reactive interventions. Strategic planning enables efficient resource allocation and demonstrates stewardship of taxpayer funds.
9. Proven Innovation Scaling
Problem: Assessment identified effective programs operating at limited scale. System lacks mechanism for replicating and expanding evidence-based practices.
Legislative Action Required:
– Appropriate expansion funding for proven models:
– Metro Reentry Facility approach (targets 27% recidivism reduction)
– Mobile vocational training (343 completions FY2024, up from 269 FY2023)
– Success Coach program across all training academies
– Fire Services Unit model (40 individuals hired as community firefighters post-release)
– Life University higher education partnership (24 current degree completions)
– Family reunification programs and children’s centers
– Establish innovation fund supporting pilot programs with evaluation requirements
– Mandate scaling criteria based on demonstrated outcomes
Fiscal Note: Proven programs generate measurable public safety and fiscal returns. Mobile vocational training and on-the-job certifications provide cost-effective reentry preparation.
10. Volunteer and Community Partnership Support
Problem: 6,147 active volunteers (FY2024) provide critical programming support. Metro Reentry Facility leverages over 100 volunteers. Current infrastructure and coordination capacity limits expansion.
Legislative Action Required:
– Authorize dedicated volunteer coordination positions at facilities
– Appropriate funding for volunteer training, background checks, and liability coverage
– Establish formal partnership agreements with community organizations, educational institutions, and faith-based groups
– Create volunteer recognition and retention programs
Fiscal Note: Volunteers multiply programming capacity without equivalent staffing costs. Structured support maximizes community resource contribution.
Implementation Sequencing:
Recommendations follow hierarchy of needs:
1. Foundation: Infrastructure repairs, staffing analysis, competitive compensation (safety and security baseline)
2. Stabilization: Medical capacity, classification validation, PREA compliance (operational effectiveness)
3. Enhancement: Training modernization, strategic planning, innovation scaling (performance optimization)
Legislative authorization for comprehensive implementation timeline with milestone reporting ensures accountability and measurable progress.
Accountability Measures:
- Quarterly reporting to General Assembly on:
- Vacancy rates by facility and position category
- Infrastructure repair completion status
- Medical trip reduction metrics
- Training academy retention rates
- PREA investigation outcomes
- Program participation and completion data
- Recidivism tracking for reentry program participants
- Annual independent assessment evaluating implementation progress
- Sunset provisions requiring evidence demonstration for continued appropriations
Key Takeaway: Addressing Georgia’s correctional crisis requires comprehensive legislative action across compensation reform, infrastructure stabilization, medical capacity expansion, and strategic planning — sequenced according to hierarchy of needs and supported by accountability measures ensuring taxpayer value and measurable outcomes.
Read the Source Document
This 245-page assessment was conducted by Guidehouse, Inc., The Moss Group, and CGL Companies at the direction of Governor Brian P. Kemp. The analysis includes comprehensive facility evaluations, stakeholder listening sessions, training academy assessment, data analysis, and benchmarking against industry standards.
Report Components:
– Executive Summary and Background (Pages 3-5)
– Influencing Factors Analysis (Pages 6-18)
– Assessment Analysis: Innovative Practices, Workforce, Safety and Security, Infrastructure (Pages 19-75)
– Detailed Recommendations (Pages 76-117)
– Training Academy Report (Pages 121-139)
– Stakeholder Themes Report (Pages 140-159)
– Comprehensive Appendices (Pages 160-245)
Other Versions
This analysis is specifically designed for Georgia legislators and policy staff. We’ve also prepared versions for other audiences:
Public Version: Community Explainer — Written for Georgia voters, families with incarcerated loved ones, and community advocates. Focuses on human impact, safety implications, and taxpayer accountability in accessible language.
Media Version: Journalist Briefing — Prepared for reporters covering criminal justice, state budget, and government accountability. Emphasizes newsworthiness, investigative angles, data visualization opportunities, and expert source context.
Each version presents the same evidence from the source document, tailored to the information needs and decision-making context of its specific audience.