TL;DR
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says healthcare in Georgia prisons is “abhorrent” and breaks the law. About 52,000 people are locked up in Georgia. More than one in four need mental health care. More than one in three have a long-term illness. People wait months or even years to see a doctor. In 2024, 330 people died in Georgia prisons. The state hid how many were killed. Georgia spends more each year on prison health, but care keeps getting worse.
Why This Matters
If your loved one is in a Georgia prison, this affects them right now.
More than 14,000 people in Georgia prisons need mental health care. About 19,000 have a long-term illness like diabetes or heart disease. The DOJ says the state fails to give these people the care they need.
This means your family member may wait months to see a doctor. A problem that could be fixed early may turn into a crisis. One person waited 6 months for help with bad stomach pain. They ended up needing emergency surgery to remove parts of their intestine.
The state also hides how bad things really are. In one period, Georgia reported only 6 people killed in prison. The DOJ found at least 18 murders in that same time. Families may not be getting the truth about what happens inside.
Key Takeaway: The DOJ found that Georgia’s prison healthcare is so bad it breaks the law — and the state hides how many people are dying.
Prisons Are Dangerously Overcrowded
Georgia’s prisons hold far more people than they were built for.
Some prisons were built to hold about 750 people. They now hold over 1,700 people. That is more than double the space they have.
This crowding makes it very hard to deliver health care. There are not enough doctors, nurses, or rooms. People who need help cannot get it in time.
In total, about 52,000 people are locked up across Georgia’s prison system.
Key Takeaway: Some Georgia prisons hold more than double the number of people they were built for, which makes decent healthcare almost impossible.
The DOJ Says Georgia’s Prison Healthcare Breaks the Law
In October 2024, the DOJ looked into healthcare in Georgia prisons. What they found was alarming.
The DOJ called the care “abhorrent” and “life-threatening.” They said it breaks the Eighth Amendment. That is the part of the Constitution that bans cruel and unusual punishment.
Here is what the DOJ found:
- People wait months or years for basic medical care
- Easy-to-treat problems turn into deadly crises
- Emergency response times are very slow
- Mental health services are far too limited
- The state fails to screen people for mental health needs when they arrive
- Plans to prevent suicide do not work well enough
- Medical records are poorly kept
One example: A person in prison waited 6 months for help with severe stomach pain. By the time they got care, they needed emergency surgery. Doctors had to remove parts of their intestine. This did not have to happen.
Key Takeaway: The federal government found that Georgia’s prison healthcare is so bad it violates the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Georgia Is Hiding How Many People Die in Prison
In 2024, 330 people died in Georgia’s prisons. More than 100 of those deaths were killings.
But the state has been hiding the real numbers.
The DOJ found that Georgia’s prison system lies about deaths. It does this both inside the system and to the public. In one time period in June 2024:
- Georgia reported only 6 people killed in prison
- The DOJ found at least 18 murders — three times more
Killings in Georgia prisons have risen sharply. From 2018 to 2023, prison killings went up by 95.8%. By mid-2024, 40 people had been killed.
Families deserve honest answers about what happens to their loved ones.
Key Takeaway: Georgia reported only 6 prison killings in one period, but the DOJ found at least 18 — the state undercounted deaths by three times.
Mental Health Care Is in Crisis
About 14,000 people in Georgia’s prisons — 27% of everyone locked up — need mental health care. The system cannot keep up.
The DOJ says mental health services are “grossly inadequate.” There are not enough counselors. Crisis help is often just a quick check at someone’s cell door.
At Valdosta State Prison, 8 out of 10 guard jobs are empty. This prison holds the highest share of people with both gang ties and mental health needs. With so few guards, no one can watch over people who are at risk.
The state also uses solitary confinement a lot. Being locked alone in a cell for 22 to 24 hours a day makes mental illness worse. Yet Georgia keeps doing it.
A state Senate study group and a review ordered by the Governor both said the same thing: Georgia must hire more mental health workers. They suggest an 8% pay raise for counselors to fill open jobs.
Key Takeaway: More than 1 in 4 people in Georgia prisons need mental health care, but there are too few counselors, and solitary confinement makes things worse.
Spending Goes Up, But Care Gets Worse
Georgia has spent more money on prison health in recent years. But the care has not gotten better.
- Health spending went up about 40% since FY2022
- Health and pharmacy contracts cost nearly $72 million in FY2025
- The state set aside $66 million for mental, dental, and medical care in FY2025
- Georgia plans to add $31 million more in FY2026
Even with all this spending, the DOJ still says the care breaks the law.
On top of that, the state charges people in prison $5.00 every time they see a doctor. Georgia collects more than $10 million a year from people in prison for these fees. This creates a barrier. People may skip care they cannot afford. Then small problems become big ones.
Key Takeaway: Georgia increased prison health spending by 40% since 2022, but the DOJ still says care is unconstitutional — and people in prison pay $5 per doctor visit.
Aging People in Prison Cost More — and Deserve Better
More than 10,000 people in Georgia’s prisons are over age 50. That is over 20% of everyone locked up. About 13% are over 55.
Older people need much more medical care. The numbers are stark:
- A person over 65 costs $8,500 per year in medical care
- A younger person costs $950 per year
- That means older people cost 9 times more
The total health cost for people over 50 in Georgia prisons is about $85 million a year.
Georgia could save tens of millions each year by releasing people who are old and medically frail on parole. Georgia’s parole success rate is 73%. That means most people who are released do well in the community.
Keeping very sick, elderly people in prison is costly. It is also cruel when the state cannot give them proper care.
Key Takeaway: Older people in prison cost 9 times more for health care, and releasing medically frail people on parole could save tens of millions while keeping the public safe.
What Needs to Change
The evidence is clear. Georgia’s prison system fails to protect people’s health and lives. Here is what experts and lawmakers say must happen:
- Fix healthcare now. The DOJ says the current system breaks the law. Georgia must meet basic standards of care.
- Hire more mental health workers. A small 8% pay raise could help fill open counselor jobs.
- Stop hiding deaths. Families and the public deserve honest data about what happens in prisons.
- Reduce overcrowding. Prisons built for 750 people cannot serve 1,700.
- Release elderly and sick people. Parole for medically frail people saves money. Most people succeed on parole.
- End overuse of solitary confinement. Locking people alone makes mental illness worse.
- Remove barriers to care. Charging $5 per visit stops people from getting help they need.
Key Takeaway: Georgia must fix healthcare, hire more staff, be honest about deaths, reduce crowding, and release people who are too sick and old to be locked up.
Glossary
- DOJ (Department of Justice): The federal agency that looks into civil rights problems. It can sue states when prisons break the law.
- GDC (Georgia Department of Corrections): The state agency that runs Georgia’s prisons.
- Eighth Amendment: Part of the U.S. Constitution. It bans cruel and unusual punishment. Courts say this means prisons must provide basic medical care.
- Chronic illness: A long-term health problem that needs ongoing care. Examples: diabetes, heart disease, HIV.
- Solitary confinement: Locking a person alone in a cell for 22 to 24 hours a day. It is known to cause or worsen mental illness.
- Parole: Early release from prison under rules and watch by the state. The person must follow certain conditions.
- Copay: A fee a person must pay each time they see a doctor. In Georgia prisons, this is $5.00 per visit.
- FY (Fiscal Year): The year the government uses for its budget. It does not always match the calendar year.
- Medically frail: A term for people who are very sick or very old and need a lot of medical care.
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Other Versions
- Version for Lawmakers — Includes policy details and budget numbers
- Version for Media — Includes context for reporting and key data points