COASTAL STATE PRISON
Facility Information
- Original Design Capacity
- 420 (at 394% capacity)
- Bed Capacity
- 1,836 beds
- Current Population
- 1,654
- Active Lifers
- 133 (8.0% of population) · Oct 2026 GDC report
- Life Without Parole
- 4 (0.2%)
What the courts held in Brown v. Plata, and how Georgia compares →
- Address
- 200 Gulfstream Road, Port Wentworth, GA 31408
- Phone
- (912) 965-6303
- Fax
- (912) 966-6799
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 7150, Port Wentworth, GA 31408
- County
- Chatham County
- Opened
- 1981
- Operator
- GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
Security Classification
Last updated: September 23, 2026
172 of the 1,747 people held here are classified Close security (9.8%), as of September 23, 2026.
| Security level | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Close | 172 | 9.8% |
| Medium | 1,317 | 75.4% |
| Minimum | 138 | 7.9% |
| High | 18 | 1.0% |
| Standard | 90 | 5.2% |
| Warrant | 1 | 0.1% |
| Not recorded | 11 | 0.6% |
| Total | 1,747 |
Earlier count (undated table, produced October 22, 2025): 180 of 1,627 Close (11.1%).
Source: Georgia Department of Corrections records produced to GPS under the Open Records Act (R031471-090226, R024615-101925). A person's security level is GDC's classification of that person, which can differ from the prison's own designation.
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Leadership & Accountability (as of 2026 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warden (facility lead) | Stokes, David | 2026-06-01 | 8 / 21 |
| Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment (facility deputy) | Kaigler, Briana | 2022-01-01 | 85 / 85 |
| Deputy Warden of Security (facility deputy) | Finch, Karen Ruth | 2024-08-01 | 57 / 66 |
| Deputy Warden of Administration (facility deputy) | Williams, Colette | 2026-07-16 | 5 / 5 |
About
Last updated November 8, 2026.(DS)
Coastal State Prison: A Medium-Security Hub Under Strain
Coastal State Prison sits off Gulfstream Road near Port Wentworth in Chatham County, a short drive from Savannah. It opened in 1981, was renovated in 1999, and today operates as a large medium-security men's prison with 12 housing units: six cellblocks mixing two-man and four-man cells, four open-bay dormitories, one unit reserved for Faith & Character and incentive-program participants, a 74-bed segregation unit, and a small infirmary. The facility also runs an abbreviated diagnostic intake unit and maintains a tactical squad, which makes it a hub for both housing and system-wide security operations. Its original design capacity was 420; its current rated capacity is 1,836, and GPS's records show a population of roughly 1,654 — about 90 percent of rated capacity, but nearly four times what the plant was built to hold.
What follows traces four threads that run through the public record on Coastal: a mortality record that is unusually long and unusually opaque; a violence problem that has produced both homicides and civil litigation; a staffing and infrastructure picture that families and workers describe as a crisis; and a kitchen whose inspection scores have swung wildly while the conditions behind them stayed grim.
A Mortality Record of 138 Deaths, Most Without a Public Cause
GPS has recorded 138 deaths at Coastal State Prison since January 1, 2020 — a floor, not a final count, because GDC reports deaths roughly two months late. Of those, 73 carry a cause of "Unknown/Pending" in GPS's registry, 51 are coded Natural/Medical, six are homicides, three suicides, two accidents, and three "Other."
The most recent deaths GPS has recorded include Richard Lee Billstrom, who died September 15, 2026, at age 66; James Daniel O'Bryant, who died September 13, 2026, at 56; Harold Clyde Fair, who died September 4, 2026, at 63; and Sheldon Leroy Burns, who died September 1, 2026, at 64, with GPS's registry listing the cause as Natural/Medical. GDC's September 2026 mortality report lists Burns under GDC number 1001598270 and gives no cause of death; GDC officially confirmed the death.
Others in the recent record: Phillip Alexander George died July 16, 2026, at 66; Corey Marcel Mitchell died July 15, 2026, at 50; Bobby Clinton Biggs died June 25, 2026, at 77; Ronald Tyrone Waller died June 10, 2026, at 57; Rene Alvarado Salazar died April 19, 2026, at 38; Mark Jr Young died April 17, 2026, at 75; Terry Kendall died February 27, 2026, at 67; Stanley Brown died February 27, 2026, at 61; Richard Parks died February 21, 2026, at 62; Malik Ortiz died February 12, 2026, at 29; Dejarvis Walker died February 9, 2026, at 25; Michael Garcia died February 1, 2026, at 45; Thomas Lee Garrison died January 26, 2026, at 78; Deandre Martez Walker died January 22, 2026, at 37; Jabe Clark died January 17, 2026, at 32; Kevin Lloyd Strickland died January 13, 2026, at 52; James Dion Gilmore died December 26, 2025, at 46; Thomas Jacob Johnson died December 23, 2025, at 57; and Jeffrey Brandon Deaton died December 20, 2025. The full list is maintained at GPS's facility death registry.
Two of those deaths are recorded as homicides: Anteveis Brown died February 26, 2026, at Coastal State Prison, with GPS's registry listing the cause as Homicide; Aiden Snapp died February 26, 2026, at Coastal State Prison, with GPS's registry listing the cause as Homicide.
The opacity is structural. In case after case, the GBI Division of Forensic Sciences produced a single-page Forensic Examination Report that was a declination rather than a cause-of-death finding — the medical examiner's office reviewed the file and concluded that "an examination by this office is not necessary." That language appears in the productions for Terry Kendall, Michael Garcia, Stanley Brown, Thomas East, Eric Milton Bone, Michael Kendrick, Terrion Wilson, Richard Parks, Thomas Garrison, James Gilmore, Nelson Williams, Jimmy Swanson, Samuel Johnson, Gregory Ratcliff, and others. In several of those cases, no cause and no manner of death were issued at all.
Where the medical examiner did supply narrative detail, it sometimes described deaths under care: Stanley Brown, 61, was on hospice in the prison infirmary for prostate and pancreatic cancer; Michael Garcia, 45, died under hospice care for colon cancer; Mark Anthony Hill, 62, had congestive heart failure and COPD and a suggested sign-out of Natural. But in other records, GDC's own "Natural" coding is explicitly not an autopsy finding — GPS's records note that no pathologist examined the body for the determination in the cases of David Carlton Holliday, Richard M. Ellard, and Jack Alan Malone, among others. GDC has not officially confirmed a number of the deaths in GPS's registry, including those of Marshall Layne Sanders, Robert L Hughes, Lavaronta Cohen, and Oliver Loadholt.
Homicides, Broken Locks, and the Litigation That Followed
The AJC's running list of Georgia prison homicides documents a series of killings at Coastal. Ryan Chase Archer, 25, died December 13, 2023, of a stab wound to the chest after a fight with other prisoners; he was due to be released in 2024. Salomon Andres Ramirez, 43, died October 20, 2023, in what GDC classified as an apparent homicide. Raymond Littles, 49, died April 16, 2024, in an incident classified as a homicide, with another prisoner disciplined.
Earlier, Kion E. Parks, 31, died September 14, 2021, from stab wounds; an incident report showed five other prisoners involved, and a lawsuit alleges five inmates stabbed Parks to death. Rufus Ramon Lee, 27, died December 14, 2021, from a stab wound to the chest; four inmates were indicted in his death. A lawsuit filed by Lee's mother alleges that the lock on his cell didn't work, allowing assailants from other cells and dorms to reach and kill him — an allegation that tracks GPS's systemic finding that broken cell-door locks are a documented, systemwide infrastructure failure, confirmed in the Guidehouse 2024 assessment and the Hays 2012 audit.
The state's own settlement ledger reflects the cost of these conditions. Georgia's DOAS Risk Management records show a $600,000 payout tied to Coastal in the Dennis Carpenter matter (2022), a $200,000 payout in the Joel Greene matter (2019), $115,000 in the Milton Ross matter (2011), $50,000 in the Cager Maleeah matter (2016), and $8,000 in the Ronald Ray Agan matter (2023).
The October 2024 U.S. Department of Justice findings letter, which concluded that GDC violates the Eighth Amendment, named Coastal among the facilities failing to protect incarcerated people from violence and unconstitutional conditions. WTOC reported that the DOJ criticized Georgia prisons including Coastal for overusing lockdowns and isolation, particularly on victims of sexual abuse, and that inmates were subjected to lockdowns lasting seven to ten days without shower access.
Staffing, Infrastructure, and What Families Describe
In February 2026, WTOC reported that workers and inmates at Coastal alleged a human rights crisis. Workers described crumbling infrastructure and unsanitary conditions — black mold throughout housing units, rat and mice infestations, frequent air conditioning and heating failures. Staff were alleged to withhold food as punishment, including not waking sleeping inmates for meal calls and then denying them food. Some correctional officers were alleged to brutally beat inmates regularly, with one employee reporting hearing screams during their walk to work. GDC records showed no correctional officers disciplined for violence against inmates over a six-month period in 2025, despite employees saying such violence is common.
WTOC also obtained maintenance records from Coastal covering May to November 2025 showing over $5,000 spent on pest control; the Department of Corrections said it had no records related to mold remediation.
GPS's intelligence records show the pattern at scale. Over the past 12 months, GPS records 11 family-safety-concern signals at high and moderate severity across five months, 11 staff-misconduct allegations (unnamed) across four months, 10 sanitation-failure allegations, nine assault-by-inmate allegations, nine medical-neglect allegations, and five staffing-shortage reports. Five external complaints were filed to oversight bodies in that period, including the ACLU of Georgia, the Southern Center for Human Rights, the GDC Ombudsman Unit, the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Justice. GPS has also received accounts of staff-on-inmate use of force at Coastal.
The staffing picture connects to GPS's systemwide finding: officer vacancies in Georgia's prisons have run between 49.3 and 60 percent for multiple years against a national standard of no more than 10 percent, the hiring pipeline cannot close the gap, and Georgia ranks last of 50 states for correctional-officer pay. The DOJ's October 2024 letter concluded that GDC leadership "has lost control of its facilities" and faulted the department for placing "too much blame on gangs and insufficient emphasis on understaffing."
A public Facebook post captured by GPS illustrates how that strain reaches families. An anonymous member of the Ga. Prisons Exposed group wrote on October 12, 2026, that a scheduled WellCare visit at Coastal was canceled because "the whole dorm is on lockdown," that the person was then told at the visitation room that she "just didn't show up," and that she could not reach anyone at the facility afterward. The post is one person's account, not a GPS finding.
Leadership at Coastal turned over in 2026. Commissioner Tyrone Oliver announced the reassignment of David Stokes, previously warden at Central State Prison, to warden at Coastal effective June 1, 2026. The deputy wardens are Briana Kaigler (Care and Treatment), Karen Ruth Finch (Security), and Colette Williams (Administration).
A Kitchen That Scored 70, Then 98
The Georgia Department of Public Health inspected Coastal's kitchen on April 23, 2026, and issued a score of 70 — a grade of C — citing 11 violations. The Georgia Virtue reported what inspectors found: a buildup of mildew-like substance inside the ice machine; no sanitizer in the three-compartment sink while inmates were actively washing dishes, a repeat violation; mold-like growth on ceiling tiles throughout the kitchen, with peeling and missing tiles, also a repeat; live flies and roaches in the kitchen; a dead mouse floating in backed-up mop water in the dishpit; fish at 122°F and chicken at 98°F sitting on the counter, both below the required 135°F hot-holding temperature; exit doors with large gaps underneath; and multiple plumbing failures, including a sink where hot water could not be turned on or off. The facility was given until May 3 to correct the issues.
Three months later, on July 27, 2026, DPH scored the same kitchen 98 — a grade of A — with a single violation for warewashing facilities and test strips. The swing is the point. GPS has documented a systemic pattern in which DPH scores reflect a single announced kitchen walkthrough on a single day and do not capture what arrives on the tray, what happens between inspections, or what inmate workers observe inside the equipment. The pattern includes tray-sanitizing dishwashers broken for sustained periods, roach and rodent infestation in kitchen and serving areas, and meals served on visibly contaminated trays — corroborated at Coastal by a resident's account and by The Marshall Project's May 16, 2026 investigation of Georgia prison food. The scores-without-sanitation analysis is the center of GPS's investigation "Dunked, Stacked, and Served."
The inspection history shows the volatility plainly: 84 in October 2023, 87 in February 2025, 80 in October 2025, 70 in April 2026, 98 in July 2026.
Medical and Mental Health Contracting
Coastal's health services are delivered under state contracts whose staffing matrices are part of the public record. MHM's Amendment 13 matrix lists 8.50 mental health FTEs at 340 hours per week and an annual cost of $900,105, plus 3.00 dental FTEs at $345,792 — including 1.00 psychiatrist, 4.00 mental health counselors, 0.50 clinical director, 1.00 activity therapist, and 1.00 MH unit manager. The same matrix lists no psychologist FTE and no MH nurse practitioner FTE. Earlier MHM amendments listed a 1.00 psychologist position, and Centurion's proposed matrix for Coastal totals 1,948 weekly hours (48.70 FTE), including a physician at 40 hours and certified nursing assistants at 56 combined weekly hours across all three shifts.
Those numbers matter against the mortality record: 73 of 138 deaths since 2020 still carry no public cause, and the medical examiner declined to examine in case after case.
Sources
This analysis draws on Georgia Department of Corrections mortality reports and internal audit calendars; Georgia Department of Public Health food-safety inspection records; the Georgia DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger obtained through open records; GBI Division of Forensic Sciences Forensic Examination Reports produced under Open Records Act requests; MHM and Centurion contract staffing matrices; federal court filings and the October 2024 U.S. Department of Justice findings letter on Georgia prisons; reporting by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WTOC, The Georgia Virtue, WALB, and The Marshall Project; a public Facebook post captured by GPS; GPS's own mortality registry and intelligence records; and inmate, family, and worker accounts collected by GPS staff.
Mortality Statistics
138 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.
Deaths by Year
- 2026: 22
- 2025: 26
- 2024: 24
- 2023: 15
- 2022: 15
- 2021: 19
- 2020: 17
County Public Health Department
Food service and sanitation at COASTAL STATE PRISON fall under the jurisdiction of the Chatham County Environmental Health Department. Incarcerated people cannot choose where they eat — public health inspectors carry an elevated responsibility to hold this kitchen to the same standards applied to any restaurant.
Contact
- Title
- District Environmental Health Director, Coastal Health District (covers Chatham County)
- Name
- Brant Phelps
- Address
-
150 Scranton Connector
Brunswick, GA 31525 - Phone
- (912) 262-2342
- brant.phelps@dph.ga.gov
- Website
- Visit department website →
Why this matters
GPS has documented black mold on chow-hall ceilings, cold and contaminated trays, spoiled milk, and pest contamination at Georgia prisons. The Department of Justice's 2024 report confirmed deaths from dehydration and untreated diabetes tied to food and water deprivation. Advance-notice inspections let facilities stage temporary fixes that disappear once inspectors leave.
Unannounced inspections by the county health department are one of the few outside checks on kitchen conditions behind the fence.
How you can help
Write to the county inspector and request an unannounced inspection of the kitchen and food service operation at this facility. A short, respectful letter citing Georgia food-safety regulations is more powerful than you think — inspectors respond to public concern.
Sample Letter
This is the letter Georgia Prisoners' Speak mailed to all county environmental health inspectors responsible for GDC facilities. Feel free to adapt it.
November 14, 2026
RE: Request for Unannounced Public Health Inspection of Food Service Operations at COASTAL STATE PRISON
Dear Brant Phelps,
I am writing to respectfully request that your office conduct a thorough, unannounced inspection of food service and sanitation practices at COASTAL STATE PRISON, located in Chatham County.
Documented concerns
Georgia Prisoners' Speak, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investigative newsroom, has published extensive investigative reporting on food safety and nutrition failures across Georgia's prison system, including:
- Dangerous sanitation conditions — black mold on chow hall ceilings and air vents, contaminated food trays, and spoiled milk served to inmates.
- Severe nutritional deficiency — roughly 60 cents per meal; inmates receive only 40% of required protein and less than one serving of vegetables per day.
- Preventable deaths — the U.S. Department of Justice's 2024 report confirmed deaths from dehydration, renal failure, and untreated diabetes following food and water deprivation.
- Staged compliance — advance-notice inspections allow facilities to stage temporary improvements, then revert once inspectors leave.
Firsthand testimony
In Surviving on Scraps: Ten Years of Prison Food in Georgia, a person who has spent more than ten years in GDC custody describes no functional dishwashing sanitation, chronic mold on food trays, and roaches found on the undersides of trays at intake facilities. Full account: gps.press/surviving-on-scraps-ten-years-of-prison-food-in-georgia.
Specific requests
- Conduct an unannounced inspection of the kitchen and food service operations at this facility, with particular attention to dishwashing equipment, tray sanitation procedures, and food storage conditions.
- Evaluate compliance with applicable Georgia food safety regulations, including O.C.G.A. § 26-2-370 and the Georgia Food Service Rules and Regulations (Chapter 511-6-1).
- Verify permit status and confirm whether the facility is subject to the same inspection schedule as other institutional food service establishments in the county.
- Make inspection results available to the public, as permitted under Georgia's Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70).
Incarcerated individuals cannot advocate for their own health and safety in the way a restaurant patron can — they cannot choose to eat elsewhere. This places an elevated responsibility on public health officials to ensure these facilities meet the same sanitation standards applied to any food service establishment.
Thank you for your attention to this important public health matter.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Food Safety Inspections
Georgia Department of Public Health
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”
Recent inspections
| Date | Score | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | 98 | Routine | |
| Apr 23, 2026 | 70 | Routine | |
| Oct 16, 2025 | 80 | Routine | |
| Feb 27, 2025 | 87 | Routine | |
| Oct 25, 2023 | 84 | Routine |
July 27, 2026 — Score 98
Routine · Inspector: Caisha Knight
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15B |
warewashing facilities: installed, maintained, used; test strips 511-6-1.05(3)(h),(i),(j) - temperature measuring device, manual warewashing; sanitizing solutions, testing device (pf) Repeat | 1 | Observed that facility did not have chemical test kit when using chemical sanitizer (quat) at three-compartment sink. Observed that facility did not have high heat testing method available for high heat dishwasher in main kitchen.RCA: Facility shall obtain test strips for quaternary ammonium chemical sanitizer testing and non-reversible method of testing high heat sanitization. |
April 23, 2026 — Score 70
Routine · Inspector: Caisha Knight
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2A |
pic present, demonstrates knowledge, performs duties 511-6-1.03(2)(a)-(n)(p),(q) - responsibility of pic (pf) | 4 | Observed that the person in charge failed in the responsibilities of ensuring that safe food handling practices were in use as evidenced by hot holding temperatures, food protected from outside contamination and sanitized food contact surfaces.RCA: PIC and ServSafe manager is responsible to ensure that food safety practices and are being followed. |
| 4-2A |
food stored covered 511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(iv) - packaged & unpackaged food, food stored covered(c) | 4 | Observed bags of spices left open. Observed margarine in walk-in cooler not wrapped. Observed loose bread in kitchen not tightly wrapped to prevent contamination.RCA: Food packages shall be in good condition and protect the integrity of the contents so that the food is not exposed to adulteration or potential contaminants. |
| 4-2B |
food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized 511-6-1.05(7)(b) - food contact surfaces and utensils - cleaning frequency (p, c) Repeat | 4 | Observed buildup of mildew-like substance in the interior of ice machine. No sanitizer in 3-compartment sink being used as inmates are actively washing dishes.RCA: PIC shall burn ice, wash inside machine and sanitize before refilling ice. Told PIC to get bleach or QAC as a sanitize in order properly sanitize the dishes. |
| 6-1B |
proper hot holding temperatures 511-6-1.04(6)(f) - time/temperature control for safety; hot holding (p) | 9 | Observed fish (122F) and chicken(98F)to be sitting on counter and it was below 135F.RCA: Told PIC that call hot holding items must be 135F or above while hot holding as well as sitting inside warmer instead of sitting on the counter. |
| 15A |
food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, and used 511-6-1.05(6)(a) - good repair & proper adjustment (c) | 1 | Observed damaged wall in walk-in cooler. Observed gaskets/seals on cold holding unit in poor repair with mildew visible.RCA: Equipment shall be maintained in a state of repair |
| 15B |
warewashing facilities: installed, maintained, used; test strips 511-6-1.05(6)(p) - warewashing equipment, determining chemical sanitizer concentration (pf) Repeat | 1 | Observed that facility did not have chemical test kit when using chemical sanitizer (quat) at three-compartment sink. Observed that facility did not have high heat testing method available for high heat dishwasher in main kitchen.RCA: Facility shall obtain test strips for quaternary ammonium chemical sanitizer testing and non-reversible method of testing high heat sanitization. |
| 15C |
nonfood-contact surfaces clean 511-6-1.05(7)(a)2,3 - equipment, food/nonfood-contact surfaces, and utensils, food-contact surfaces of cooking equipment & nonfood-contact surfaces free of accumulations (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed food debris on racks where trays were stored. Observed build up on gaskets of walk-in coolers. Mildew on gaskets and walk-in cooler racks.RCA: Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil residues. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) Repeat | 2 | Observed a 3 compartment-sink with a leaking pipe. Observed a 2-compartment sink in which the hot water was unable to turn on or off. Observed a handwashing sink in mess hall with a loose spigot. Observed a back-up mop sink in the mess hall dishpit.RCA: A plumbing system shall be repaired according to law; and maintained in good repair. |
| 17C |
physical facilities installed, maintained, and clean 511-6-1.07(5)(a),(b) - good repair, physical facilities maintained; cleaning, frequency & restrictions, cleaned often enough to keep them clean (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed mold-like growth on ceiling tiles in entire kitchen area. Observed peeling ceiling tiles in dish area. Observed rust and corrosion on ceiling tiles sporadically in entire kitchen area. Missing ceiling tiles/ hole in ceiling in mess hall area.RCA: All physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair. The physical facilities shall be cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean and by methods that prevent contamination of food products. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) Repeat | 3 | Observed live flies and roaches in kitchen. Observed dead mouse floating in backed-up mop water in mess hall dishpit.RCA: Facility shall increase treatment schedules from licensed pest control operators. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(2)(m) - outer openings protected (c) | 3 | Observed exit door with a large gap under. Observed other exit door damaged with gaps visible.RCA: Outer openings of a food service establishment shall be protected against the entry of insects and rodents by: Solid, self-closing, tight-fitting doors. |
October 16, 2025 — Score 80
Routine · Inspector: Andrea Carrasco
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-1C |
food in good condition, safe, and unadulterated 511-6-1.04(1) - safe, unadulterated and honestly presented (p) Corrected | 9 | Observed 3 boxes of whole cucumbers from September that were molded and actively spoiling and dripping onto lower stored boxes of food.COS CA: PIC had boxes of cucumbers discarded. |
| 4-2B |
food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized 511-6-1.05(7)(a)1 - equipment, food-contact surfaces,& utensils (pf) | 4 | Observed buildup of mildew-like substance in the interior of ice machine.RCA: PIC shall burn ice, wash inside machine and sanitize before refilling ice. |
| 15B |
warewashing facilities: installed, maintained, used; test strips 511-6-1.05(3)(h),(i),(j) - temperature measuring device, manual warewashing; sanitizing solutions, testing device (pf) | 1 | Observed that facility did not have chemical test kit when using chemical sanitizer (quat) at three-compartment sink.RCA: Facility shall obtain test strips for quaternary ammonium chemical sanitizer testing. |
| 15C |
nonfood-contact surfaces clean 511-6-1.05(7)(d) - nonfood-contact surfaces (c) | 1 | Observed food debris on racks where trays were stored. Observed build up on gaskets of walk-in coolers.RCA: Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil residues. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) | 2 | Observed a handwashing sink with a leaking pipe. Observed a 3 compartment-sink with a leaking pipe. Observed a 2-compartment sink in which the hot water was unable to turn off. Observed a handwashing sink in bakery area with loose spigot.RCA: A plumbing system shall be repaired according to law; and maintained in good repair. |
| 17C |
physical facilities installed, maintained, and clean 511-6-1.07(5)(a),(b) - good repair, physical facilities maintained; cleaning, frequency & restrictions, cleaned often enough to keep them clean (c) | 1 | Observed mold-like growth on ceiling tiles in entire kitchen area. Observed peeling ceiling tiles in dish area. Observed rust and corrosion on ceiling tiles sporadically in entire kitchen area.RCA: All physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair. The physical facilities shall be cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean and by methods that prevent contamination of food products. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) | 3 | Observed live flies and roaches in kitchen.RCA: Facility shall increase treatment schedules from licensed pest control operators. |
February 27, 2025 — Score 87
Routine · Inspector: Andrea Carrasco
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-1C |
proper cooling time and temperature 511-6-1.04(6)(d) - cooling (p) Corrected | 9 | Observed spaghetti that had been prepared 2/25 that had an internal temperature of 44F. PIC stated that spaghetti had been kept in walk-in cooler since preparation date.COS CA: PIC discarded spaghetti. Cooked Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (list food item here) not cooled from 135F to 41F within 6 hours. |
| 12A |
contamination prevented during food preparation, storage, display 511-6-1.04(4)(q) - food storage (c) | 3 | Observed prepared food on floor, observed bag of flour on floor.COS CA: PIC moved food off of floor. food shall be protected from contamination by storing the food In a clean, dry location; Where it is not exposed to splash, dust, or other contamination; and At least 6 inches (15 cm) above the floor. |
| 17D |
adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas used 511-6-1.07(3)(f) - lighting intensity, adequate in food prep, storage & service areas (c) | 1 | Observed burnt out lights under hoods and within walk-in cooler.RCA: The light intensity shall be at least 10 foot candles (108 lux) at a distance of 30 inches (75 cm) above the floor, in walk-in refrigeration units and dry food storage areas and in other areas and rooms during periods of cleaning; At least 50 foot candles (540 lux) at a surface where a food service employee is working with food or working with utensils or equipment such as knives, slicers, grinders, or saws where employee safety is a factor. |
October 25, 2023 — Score 84
Routine · Inspector: Darby Clark
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2D |
adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible 511-6-1.07(3)(b) - hand drying provision (pf) Corrected | 4 | Observed hand sink in the bakery room to not have paper towels.COS/CA: PIC placed paper towels at hand sink. Hand Drying Provision. Each handwashing sink or group of adjacent handwashing sinks shall be provided with: Individual, disposable towels. |
| 2-2D |
adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible 511-6-1.06(2)(o) - using a handwashing sink- operation & maintenance (pf) | 4 | Observed hand sink in the meat room and the bakery room to be used as a dump sink.RCA: A handwashing facility may not be used for purposes other than handwashing. |
| 3-1C |
food in good condition, safe, and unadulterated 511-6-1.04(3)(e) - package integrity (pf) | 9 | Observed multiple boxes containing apple juice and fruit in the walk in to have mold growing on the outside of the box.RCA: Food packages shall be in good condition and protect the integrity of the contents so that the food is not exposed to adulteration or potential contaminants. |
| 11C |
approved thawing methods used 511-6-1.04(6)(c) - thawing (c) Corrected | 3 | Observed chicken being dethawed in standing water.COS/CA: PIC turned on the water to continue dethawing the chicken. Time/temperature control for safety food shall be thawed: Completely submerged under running water: At a water temperature of 70°F (21°C) or below. |
Recent reports (27)
Source-attributed observations and allegations from news coverage and reports submitted to GPS. Each entry credits its source.
- ALLEGATION According to News.google.com Recorded by GPS: May 14, 2026Workers and inmates allege a human rights crisis is occurring at Coastal State Prison.
"Workers and inmates report human rights crisis at Coastal State Prison"
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to News.google.com Recorded by GPS: May 13, 2026Five inmates were indicted for committing a violent assault at Coastal State Prison.
"5 inmates indicted for violent assault at Coastal State Prison"
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to News.google.com Recorded by GPS: May 13, 2026A Coastal State Prison employee allegedly traded with inmates without the consent of the warden or superintendent.
"Coastal State Prison employee arrested, charged with trading with inmates without consent of warden or superintendent"
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published: Jan 21, 2025A lawsuit alleges five inmates stabbed Kion E. Parks to death at Coastal State Prison.
"a lawsuit alleges five inmates stabbed Parks to death."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published: Jan 21, 2025A lawsuit by Rufus Ramon Lee's mother alleges that the lock on his cell didn't work, allowing assailants from other cells and dorms to reach and kill him.
"A lawsuit by Lee's mother alleges that the lock on his cell didn't work, allowing assailants from other cells and dorms to reach him."
Read source →
Timeline (52)
Source Articles (18)
Former leadership
Officials who previously held leadership roles at this facility.
| Role | Name | Tenure | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| WARDEN 2 (facility lead) | Glenn, Phillip | 2014-01-01 → 2025-12-31 | 94 / 94 |
| Warden (facility lead) | Pineiro, Aaron Thomas | 2022-01-01 → 2024-06-15 | 40 / 85 |
| Deputy Warden (facility deputy) | Johnson-Williams, Colette C | 2023-11-22 → 2026-08-27 | — / — |
| Chaplain (specialty lead) | Tompkins, Donald A | 2026-08-27 → 2026-08-27 | — / — |
| Clinical Chaplain (specialty lead) | Valcourt, Theodore P | 2023-11-22 → 2026-08-27 | — / — |
Location
Aerial View
Satellite image: Esri World Imagery. Architecture documents what the building was designed to hold. See the system-wide receipts at gps.press/warehouse.
Then and now
Each photo shows the same 1.2 km square, north up, so buildings line up from one year to the next. The older photos are U.S. Geological Survey aerial photographs. The photos from 1988 and earlier were taken on film and lined up with the later ones by their roads, so their positions are approximate. The early-1980s photos were taken from very high up and are less sharp. Select a photo to see it full size.