Georgia can’t keep correctional officers because Georgia’s prisons are too dangerous to work in. Vacancy rates hit 49% at some facilities. PTSD affects 53.4% of officers—more than three times the rate of other law enforcement. Officers work mandatory 16-hour shifts, witness constant violence, and earn less than neighboring states pay. The result: a staffing crisis that leaves gangs in control and inmates in danger. 1
The Burnout Numbers
Georgia’s correctional officers face conditions most workers never experience:
- 53.4% PTSD rate — compared to 15% in other law enforcement
- 31-36% experience severe burnout — above the 28% average in other jobs
- 42% turnover rate — in Texas, this forced three prisons to close
- $10,000-$20,000 — cost to replace each officer who quits
Georgia spends more managing turnover than it would cost to fix working conditions.
What Officers Face Daily
The job destroys mental health through constant exposure to trauma:
- Violence — Regular confrontations, assaults, and stabbings
- Traumatic events — Suicides, self-harm, and deaths they can’t prevent
- Mandatory overtime — 16-hour shifts when no one else shows up
- Constant alertness — Mental fatigue from never being able to relax
- Gang threats — Officers face pressure from organizations controlling housing units
The DOJ found Georgia fails to protect prisoners from violence. Officers experience that violence firsthand—and Georgia does nothing to protect them either. 2
Why Officers Leave
Georgia’s starting salary of $44,044 falls below neighboring states. Alabama pays $48,500. South Carolina pays $51,200. Officers can earn more in safer jobs—so they leave.
But pay isn’t the only problem:
- 71% of agencies lack proper Employee Assistance Programs
- Poor leadership — Weak communication, inconsistent policies
- No support — Bureaucratic delays leave officers feeling abandoned
- Personal costs — Irregular shifts destroy relationships and families
The stigma of working in corrections adds social isolation to the job’s other burdens.
The Security Consequences
When burnout drives officers out, violence rises for everyone left behind:
- 36% more violent incidents in facilities with high burnout rates
- 28% rise in serious incidents when staffing drops below 90%
- 25% more security breaches from human error in exhausted staff
- 30% more inmate disciplinary infractions in burned-out units
Fewer staff means less supervision. Less supervision means gangs fill the vacuum. GPS has documented 100+ homicides in 2024—many in facilities where staffing collapsed.
What Would Help
Other states have reduced burnout through measures Georgia refuses:
- Compressed schedules — Federal Bureau of Prisons saw improved satisfaction
- Mental health support — California’s PTSD program has helped 500+ officers
- Peer support — Michigan improved resilience scores by 30%
- Career advancement — Texas reduced turnover 15% with clear promotion paths
- Competitive pay — Match what officers can earn elsewhere
Georgia knows the solutions. It chooses not to implement them.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding adequate staffing and officer support. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Demand:
- Competitive pay for correctional officers
- Mental health support and PTSD treatment
- Adequate staffing at all facilities
- Working conditions that don’t destroy employees
Further Reading
- Forced Criminality: Inside Georgia’s Prison Violence Factory
- $700 Million More—And Nothing to Show for It
- GPS Informational Resources
- Pathways to Success
About Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS)
Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS) is a nonprofit investigative newsroom built in partnership with incarcerated reporters, families, advocates, and data analysts. Operating independently from the Georgia Department of Corrections, GPS documents the truth the state refuses to acknowledge: extreme violence, fatal medical neglect, gang-controlled dorms, collapsed staffing, fraudulent reporting practices, and unconstitutional conditions across Georgia’s prisons.
Through confidential reporting channels, secure communication, evidence verification, public-records requests, legislative research, and professional investigative standards, GPS provides the transparency the system lacks. Our mission is to expose abuses, protect incarcerated people, support families, and push Georgia toward meaningful reform based on human rights, evidence, and public accountability.
Every article is part of a larger fight — to end the silence, reveal the truth, and demand justice.
