ATLANTA TRANSITIONAL CENTER
Facility Information
- Current Population
- 272
- Active Lifers
- 28 (10.3% of population) · May 2026 GDC report
- Address
- 332 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
- County
- Fulton County
- Operator
- GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
- Warden
- Torrenzo Brayboy
- Phone
- (404) 206-5103
- Fax
- (404) 206-5133
- Staff
- Assistant Superintendent: Pierre Fortune
- Chief of Security: VACANT
About
The Atlanta Transitional Center (ATC) is a Georgia Department of Corrections facility operating within a system that GPS independently tracks as having recorded 1,795 deaths statewide since 2020, with cause-of-death data withheld by the GDC and reconstructed through GPS's own investigative reporting. Source documentation for ATC-specific incidents remains limited, but the facility exists within a broader GDC infrastructure marked by chronic overcrowding, a backlog of nearly 2,500 people waiting in county jails, and a population of over 52,900 — figures that directly shape conditions at transitional and reentry facilities. GPS continues to develop facility-specific intelligence on ATC as reporting capacity expands.
Leadership & Accountability (as of 2025 records)
Officials currently holding positional authority at this facility, with deaths attributed to GPS-tracked records during their leadership tenure. Inclusion reflects role-based accountability, not legal findings of personal culpability. Death counts shown as facility / career.
| Role | Name | Since | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORRECTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT (facility lead) | Brayboy, Torrenzo | 2025-01-01 | — / — |
| CORRECTIONAL ASST. SUPT (facility deputy) | Fortune, Pierre | 2025-01-01 | 1 / 1 |
Key Facts
- 1,795 Total deaths in GDC custody tracked by GPS since 2020 — cause of death withheld by GDC, reconstructed through independent GPS investigation
- 333 Deaths recorded systemwide in 2024 — the highest single-year total in GPS's database, with 288 causes still unknown or pending
- 95 Deaths recorded systemwide in 2026 as of May 5, including 27 confirmed homicides and 56 with cause unknown or pending
- ~$20M Total Georgia state settlements since 2018 for GDC-related prisoner deaths, injuries, and neglect claims
- 2,481 People stuck in jail backlog awaiting GDC placement as of May 1, 2026 — reflecting systemic capacity pressure across all GDC facilities
- 1,243 GDC prisoners systemwide classified as having poorly controlled health conditions as of May 2026
By the Numbers
- 301 Deaths in 2025 (GPS tracked)
- 97 Deaths in 2026 (GPS tracked)
- 6 Terminally Ill Inmates
- 1,243 Poorly Controlled Health Conditions
- 5,163 Drug Admissions (2025)
- 30,138 Violent Offenders (56.39%)
Mortality Statistics
2 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.
Deaths by Year
- 2026: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2023: 1
- 2022: 1
- 2021: 0
- 2020: 0
Food Safety Inspections
No inspection records are on file with the Georgia Department of Public Health for this facility. GPS has filed an open records request asking where these records are maintained.
What the score doesn't measure. DPH grades kitchen compliance on inspection day — food storage, temperatures, pest control. It does not grade whether today's trays are clean. GPS reporting has found broken dishwashers at most Georgia state prisons we've documented; trays go out wet, stacked, and visibly moldy — including at facilities with recent scores near 100.
Who inspects. Most Georgia state prisons sit in rural counties — often with fewer than 20,000 people, several with fewer than 10,000. The environmental health inspector lives in that community and often knows the kitchen staff personally. Rural inspection regimes don't have the structural independence you'd expect in a city-sized health department. Read the scores accordingly.
Read the investigation: “Dunked, Stacked and Served: Why Georgia Prison Trays Are Making People Sick”
Facility Overview
The Atlanta Transitional Center (ATC) is a Georgia Department of Corrections facility designed to serve a reentry and transitional housing function, providing a supervised bridge between incarceration and release for individuals nearing the end of their sentences. As a transitional center, ATC operates within the broader GDC network — a system GPS tracks as holding 52,912 people in state custody as of May 1, 2026, with an additional 2,481 individuals in a jail backlog awaiting GDC placement.
The GDC population has remained largely stable over the 12-week period GPS has tracked through weekly Friday reports, rising from 52,714 on March 6, 2026, to 52,912 on May 1, 2026 — a net increase of 198 over that period. The persistent backlog, which has ranged between 2,277 and 2,481 over the same window, reflects systemic pressure on bed capacity across all GDC facilities, including transitional centers. As of May 1, 2026, the GDC system-wide demographics show a population that is 60.38% Black, 34.00% White, and 5.15% Hispanic, with an average age of 40.99. Over 56% of the total population — 30,138 individuals — are classified as violent offenders.
Population Health and Vulnerability
GPS's system-wide demographic data, drawn from GDC monthly reports, reveals a population carrying substantial medical and mental health burdens that have direct implications for any GDC facility, including transitional centers. As of May 1, 2026, 1,243 individuals systemwide are classified as having poorly controlled health conditions, 45 are in active mental health crisis, and 6 are identified as terminally ill. These figures represent the known, classified cases — a floor rather than a ceiling given the GDC's historically opaque health reporting.
For a transitional facility like ATC, which is intended to prepare individuals for reintegration into the community, the prevalence of uncontrolled health conditions and mental health crises across the broader system raises serious questions about continuity of care. Individuals with chronic or poorly managed conditions who are transferred to or released through transitional facilities without adequate health planning face compounded risks — both to their own wellbeing and to the integrity of any reentry process. GPS has not yet independently confirmed facility-specific health incident data for ATC, and will update this record as reporting develops.
Statewide Mortality Context
GPS independently tracks deaths across the Georgia prison system — the GDC does not publicly release cause-of-death information, and GPS's classifications are derived from independent investigation, family accounts, news reporting, and public records. Systemwide, GPS has recorded 1,795 deaths since 2020. The 2024 total of 333 deaths represents the highest single-year count in GPS's database, followed by 301 deaths in 2025 and 257 in 2021. As of May 5, 2026, GPS has already recorded 95 deaths for the year, including 27 confirmed homicides, 6 suicides, 4 natural causes, 2 overdoses, and 56 deaths with cause still unknown or pending investigation.
The rising proportion of classified deaths — particularly homicides and suicides — in 2025 and 2026 compared to earlier years reflects GPS's expanding investigative capacity, not any increase in GDC transparency. In prior years, the vast majority of deaths were logged as unknown or pending: 288 of 333 in 2024, 226 of 262 in 2023, and 263 of 293 in 2020. GPS notes that the true homicide count across all years is almost certainly significantly higher than confirmed numbers, as many deaths logged as unknown likely involved violence that has not yet been independently verified. No ATC-specific deaths have been confirmed in GPS's current database, and this record will be updated as facility-level reporting is completed.
GDC Accountability and Settlements
GPS has verified that the state of Georgia has paid nearly $20 million in settlements since 2018 to resolve claims involving death, injury, and neglect of state prisoners in GDC custody. This figure, drawn from news reporting, reflects a pattern of legal exposure tied to conditions across the GDC system — including inadequate medical care, failure to protect incarcerated people from violence, and wrongful death. The settlement record represents cases where the state chose to resolve liability rather than litigate, and likely understates the full scope of harm given that many families lack legal representation or resources to pursue civil claims.
GPS has not yet confirmed ATC-specific lawsuits or settlements within this total. As a transitional facility with a population distinct from higher-security prisons, ATC's legal exposure may differ from that of facilities like Valdosta State Prison or Ware State Prison — but the systemic failures documented in GDC-wide litigation, including medical neglect and failure to protect, are relevant to any facility operating within the same administrative and policy structure. GPS will update this section as ATC-specific legal records are identified.
Intelligence Gaps and Reporting Status
GPS's current documentation on the Atlanta Transitional Center is limited. The two source documents associated with this facility page — the GDC Facilities Directory entry and the Georgia DOC Inmate Handbook, both dated February 2025 — provide structural context about the GDC system but do not contain ATC-specific incident reporting, staffing data, or conditions documentation. No extracted events have yet been logged for this facility, and no ATC-specific deaths, lawsuits, or named incidents appear in GPS's current database.
This intelligence gap does not indicate that the facility is without problems — it reflects the current limits of GPS's reporting reach. Transitional centers have historically received less journalistic attention than higher-security prisons despite housing vulnerable populations at a critical juncture in reintegration. GPS is actively seeking firsthand accounts from individuals who have been housed at ATC, family members, and legal advocates with direct knowledge of conditions there. Readers with relevant information are encouraged to contact GPS directly. This page will be updated as new reporting is completed.
Source Articles (2)
Former leadership
Officials who previously held leadership roles at this facility.
| Role | Name | Tenure | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORRECTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT (facility lead) | Jones, Deshawn B | 2018-01-01 → 2018-12-31 | — / 144 |
| CORRECTIONAL ASST. SUPT (facility deputy) | Fortune, Pierre | 2024-01-01 → 2024-12-31 | 1 / 1 |
| CORRECTIONAL ASST. SUPT (facility deputy) | Fortune, Pierre | 2023-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | 1 / 1 |