The Department of Justice found Georgia’s prison healthcare system kills people. Emergency care takes too long. Sick call requests go unanswered. Chronic conditions become terminal. Georgia ranked 44th nationally in healthcare spending per inmate—and the results show in our mortality database. 1,682 deaths since 2020. Average age at death: 52.1 years. People are dying decades early because Georgia refuses to provide constitutionally required care. 1
What the DOJ Documented
The Department of Justice investigation found systematic medical neglect:
- Emergency response failures — Over 62% of emergency calls had response times exceeding 45 minutes
- Night shift delays — Responses 2.3 times slower than daytime
- Rural facility gaps — Delays up to three times longer than urban prisons
- Staff shortages — Insufficient medical professionals for 50,250 prisoners
- Equipment failures — Outdated diagnostic tools and broken monitoring systems
These delays kill. People with treatable conditions die because intervention comes too late. 2
The Death Toll
GPS has documented what medical neglect produces:
- 1,682 deaths since 2020 in our Mortality Database
- 333 deaths in 2024
- Average age at death: 52.1 years — decades below Georgia’s life expectancy
- Treatable conditions become terminal due to delayed care
Behind each number is a person whose family will never see them again—not because their illness was incurable, but because Georgia refused to treat it in time. 3
Root Causes
Georgia’s medical failures stem from systemic choices:
Staffing:
- Not enough medical professionals for the population
- Night shifts critically understaffed
- High turnover due to low pay and difficult conditions
- Rural facilities struggle to recruit
Infrastructure:
- Outdated diagnostic equipment
- Insufficient monitoring systems
- Poor facility design for medical care
- Inadequate isolation areas
Systems:
- Record-keeping failures lead to treatment gaps
- No continuity when prisoners transfer
- Medication errors from documentation problems
- Emergency protocols inadequate
The Legal Standard
The Eighth Amendment requires adequate medical care. Estelle v. Gamble established that deliberate indifference to serious medical needs violates the Constitution. Georgia’s system shows deliberate indifference by:
- Knowing people need care and failing to provide it
- Allowing delays that worsen conditions
- Ignoring patterns of preventable deaths
- Underfunding healthcare despite rising deaths
The DOJ found these failures constitute constitutional violations. Georgia has known for years. Nothing changes.
What Reform Requires
The DOJ identified necessary changes:
- Standardized emergency protocols — Clear procedures for life-threatening situations
- Adequate staffing — Enough medical professionals for the population
- Modern equipment — Diagnostic tools that work
- Electronic health records — Continuity across facilities
- Independent oversight — External monitoring of healthcare outcomes
These changes require funding and political will. Georgia has the money—$1.5 billion in corrections spending. It lacks the will.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding adequate medical care in Georgia prisons. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Demand:
- Immediate action on DOJ medical care findings
- Adequate healthcare staffing at all facilities
- Modern medical equipment and facilities
- Independent oversight of prison healthcare
If you or a loved one has experienced medical neglect in Georgia prisons, report it to GPS.
Further Reading
- Cruel and Unusual Dentistry: Inside Georgia’s Prison Dental Crisis
- What Families Need to Know When an Inmate Dies
- 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.
