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.
Research Explainers
Public-facing research explainers for families and the general public.
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.
Gangs Run Georgia’s Prisons. Other States Fixed This Problem Years Ago.
Gangs control daily life in Georgia’s prisons. Other states fixed this years ago. Georgia refuses to act.
Empty Guard Towers, Rising Death Tolls: The Prison Staffing Crisis Killing People in Georgia
Georgia’s 52.5% guard vacancy rate fuels a sevenfold rise in prison killings. The state pays guards the least in the nation, and 82.7% of new hires quit within a year.