GPS Toolkit
When a Loved One Dies in Custody
Losing someone this way is devastating, and the not-knowing can be its own kind of pain. You have the right to the truth about how and why your loved one died — and the records that hold that truth do exist. This is a plain, step-by-step guide to getting them, protecting your options, and finding help.
The Department of Corrections no longer releases the cause of death — so the prison is not where you'll get your answer. The real records come from the county coroner and Georgia's vital-records system. And be aware: the cause listed isn't always the full story. Many in-custody deaths are never given a clear, determined cause. If anything about the death doesn't sit right with you, you have options — including your own independent autopsy — laid out below.
The records that tell the story — in order
The death certificate — start here
This is the key document. It states the cause and manner of death and whether the case was referred for an autopsy. As immediate family (spouse, adult child, or parent), you can order a certified copy — order the certified one, not the "informational" copy, because only the certified copy shows the cause of death.
Order online through Georgia Vital Records (ROVER) or from the county where the death occurred — about $25.
You can also request the death certificate directly from the county coroner (template below).The autopsy report (if one was done)
If an autopsy was performed, the report is held by the GBI's Division of Forensic Sciences (DOFS). Request it by your loved one's name, date of death, and facility (template below).
Honest expectation: the GBI is badly backlogged, and its records system often responds slowly or says "no records" even for autopsies that were done. Don't take that as the final word — the death certificate remains your most reliable source, and a "no records" answer is itself worth keeping.The coroner's investigative file
The county coroner's report of death and any inquest records give more detail than the certificate alone. Request them from the coroner of the county where the death happened, under the Open Records Act.
The GDC records
Incident reports, the medical file, and movement history from the prison can show what happened in the hours and days before. Get these through the Open Records toolkit — but remember, GDC will not give you the cause of death; that's the coroner's record.
The body, and your right to an independent autopsy
If you believe there was wrongdoing
If the death may have involved violence, neglect, or a cover-up, you can act on more than one front:
- Report it to the GBI, and to the U.S. Department of Justice, which is investigating conditions in Georgia\'s prisons and can be reached directly at community.georgiaDOC@usdoj.gov — see the Report to Oversight Bodies toolkit for more.
- Know your legal window. Georgia lets a family bring a wrongful-death claim — usually the surviving spouse, then children, then parents, or the estate. There is a deadline (generally two years), and evidence fades, so talk to a lawyer sooner rather than later.
GPS can help point families to attorneys who take prison-death cases. Reach us any time at gps.press/submit-a-report.
Request templates
Copy these and fill in the [BRACKETS].
Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request a copy of the death certificate for my [RELATIONSHIP — e.g. son / husband], [FULL NAME], who died on or about [DATE] at [FACILITY NAME] in [COUNTY] County, Georgia. If your office does not hold the certificate, please tell me which office does.
Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), I request the autopsy report and any medical examiner records for [FULL NAME], date of death [DATE], who died at [FACILITY NAME], [COUNTY] County (GDC ID [NUMBER] if known). Please cite any exemption claimed and produce all non-exempt portions.