Programs That Work: What the Best Prison Mentoring Programs Can Teach Georgia
GPS studied the best prison programs in the country. The results are clear: real programs with real resources change lives and cut re-arrest rates dramatically.
Research Explainers
Public-facing research explainers for families and the general public.
What the Research Says: Programs That Actually Work in Prisons
Research shows proven programs cut return-to-prison rates by 20-30% and save $5 for every $1 spent. Here’s what works and why Georgia should invest.
A Former Guard Speaks: 10 Years Inside Georgia’s Failing Prisons
A former guard who worked 10 years in Georgia prisons describes a system in collapse: no staff, daily deaths, and weapons everywhere.
Guthrie v. Evans: How Georgia Won Prison Reforms — Then Threw Them Away
A 1972 lawsuit forced Georgia to reform its worst prison. A 1996 law let the state walk away. By 2024, the same problems were back — and people were dying.
Sleeping Giants: Two Old Georgia Laws Could Free Wrongly Convicted People — If the State Would Enforce Them
Georgia has two laws that could help wrongly convicted people — but courts have twisted them into near-uselessness. The fix is simple: enforce them.
Locked Out of Justice: How Georgia Prisons Deny People Their Right to Legal Help
Georgia’s own rules promise 2 hours of library time a week — but people report getting 30 minutes every two weeks. No lawyers. No trained helpers. A fix costs less than 0.6% of the prison budget.
Georgia’s Habeas Corpus Deadline: One of the Harshest in the Nation — and It Has No Exception for Innocent People
Georgia gives people in prison just 4 years to challenge their conviction — with no exception for innocence. Even the federal anti-terrorism law protects innocent people. Georgia does not.
Who Watches the Prosecutors? Georgia’s Broken System of Accountability
Only 0.66% of complaints against Georgia lawyers lead to action. The State Bar doesn’t even track prosecutors. Here’s what that means for people in prison.
The Case for Reducing Georgia’s Prison Population: What the Evidence Actually Shows
Georgia spent $600M+ on prisons but deaths surged 1,150%. Evidence from other states shows reducing prison populations works — and saves lives.
Georgia Spent $700 Million More on Prisons. Every Outcome Got Worse.
Georgia spent $700 million more on prisons since 2022. Deaths went up, guards quit, buildings crumbled. Here’s what the money bought — and what it didn’t.