COASTAL STATE PRISON
Facility Information
- Original Design Capacity
- 758 (at 216% capacity)
- Bed Capacity
- 1,836 beds
- Current Population
- 1,638
- Active Lifers
- 130 (7.9% of population) · May 2026 GDC report
- Life Without Parole
- 9 (0.5%)
Read: Brown v. Plata - A Legal Roadmap for Georgia's Prison Crisis →
- Address
- 200 Gulfstream Road, Port Wentworth, GA 31408
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 7150, Port Wentworth, GA 31408
- County
- Chatham County
- Opened
- 1981
- Operator
- GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
- Warden
- Phillip Glenn
- Phone
- (912) 965-6303
- Fax
- (912) 966-6799
- Staff
- Deputy Warden Security: Karen Finch
- Deputy Warden C&T: Briana Kaigler
- Deputy Warden Admin: Colette Williams
About
Coastal State Prison, a medium-security facility in Chatham County near Savannah, has been documented by GPS and federal investigators as a site of systemic violence, medical neglect, crumbling infrastructure, and unchecked staff misconduct. A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice investigation found Georgia prisons — including Coastal State — in violation of the Eighth Amendment for failing to protect inmates from violence and failing to provide reasonably safe conditions. GPS tracking shows at least one confirmed inmate death at the facility as recently as February 2026, while health inspection scores have declined steadily, hitting a failing grade of 70 in April 2026.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WARDEN 2 (facility lead) | Glenn, Phillip | 2025-01-01 | 91 / 91 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Kaigler, Briana | 2025-01-01 | 91 / 91 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Finch, Karen Ruth | 2025-01-01 | 61 / 69 |
Key Facts
- 70 Coastal State Prison health inspection score, April 23, 2026 — a failing grade, down from 87 in February 2025
- $20M Total paid by Georgia since 2018 to settle claims involving death or injury to state prisoners
- 1,795 Total inmate deaths tracked in GPS database across GDC facilities — the GDC does not publicly report cause-of-death data
- $5,000 Pest control spending at Coastal State Prison over a six-month period in 2025 — despite documented live rodent and roach infestations
- 8th Amendment Constitutional violation found by 2024 DOJ investigation — Georgia prisons, including Coastal State, fail to protect inmates from violence or ensure safe conditions
By the Numbers
- 97 Deaths in 2026 (GPS tracked)
- 52,801 Total GDC Population
- 1,243 Poorly Controlled Health Conditions
- 13,057 Close Security (24.38%)
- 60.38% Black Inmates
- 4,771 Drug Offenders (8.93%)
Mortality Statistics
131 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.
Deaths by Year
- 2026: 16
- 2025: 25
- 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
- Environmental Health Director
- Address
-
P.O. Box 14257
Savannah, GA 31406 - Phone
- (912) 356-2160
- chatham.eh@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.
May 16, 2026
RE: Request for Unannounced Public Health Inspection of Food Service Operations at COASTAL STATE PRISON
Dear County Environmental Health Director,
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 nonprofit public advocacy organization, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | 70 | Routine | |
| Oct 16, 2025 | 80 | Routine | |
| Feb 27, 2025 | 87 | Routine | |
| Oct 25, 2023 | 84 | Routine |
April 23, 2026 — Score 70
Routine · Inspector: Caisha Knight
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 (24)
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 →
Coastal State Prison, located in Chatham County near Savannah, has emerged in recent years as one of the most heavily documented examples of the systemic failures the U.S. Department of Justice identified across the Georgia prison system. A 2024 federal investigation, repeated homicides inside the facility, public-health inspection failures, and a federal judge's open question of whether the Georgia Department of Corrections "deems itself above the law" all converge on a single facility profile: a prison where physical security, sanitation, medical infrastructure, and staff accountability have all degraded simultaneously. The sections below trace those threads through public reporting, court filings, and corroborating accounts collected by GPS.
Federal Findings and the Eighth Amendment Determination
The most consequential development in the public record concerning Coastal State Prison is the 2024 U.S. Department of Justice investigation, which concluded that Georgia prisons — Coastal State explicitly named among them — are failing to protect incarcerated people from violence, neglect, and unconstitutional conditions, and that the Georgia Department of Corrections is in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The DOJ's findings were not framed as isolated lapses but as a pattern of systemic failure across the agency. WTOC reported that the DOJ specifically criticized Georgia prisons including Coastal State for overusing lockdowns and isolation, and for applying that isolation particularly to victims of sexual abuse — an inversion of the protective function the practice is nominally meant to serve.
The federal posture has since hardened. WTOC reported that a federal judge in Georgia's Middle District scolded GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver for "failure to comply with court orders" and asked whether the GDC "deems itself above the law." The judicial framing is unusual in its bluntness and signals that the federal court does not view the agency's response to the constitutional findings as adequate. GDC's own public statements have acknowledged the DOJ determination that Georgia prisons are in violation of the Eighth Amendment for violence and inhumane conditions, even as the implementation record remains contested in court.
A Documented Sequence of Homicides
Public reporting establishes a sustained pattern of fatal violence inside Coastal State. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Kion E. Parks, 31, died on September 14, 2021 from stab wounds, with an incident report identifying five other prisoners as involved; a lawsuit filed in his death alleges those five inmates stabbed Parks to death. Three months later, on December 14, 2021, Rufus Ramon Lee, 27, was killed by a stab wound to the chest. An incident report shows four other prisoners were involved, and four inmates were ultimately indicted. A lawsuit filed by Lee's mother alleges that the lock on his cell did not work, allowing assailants from other cells and dorms to reach him — a structural-failure allegation that, if borne out, places responsibility for the access that enabled the killing on the physical condition of the housing unit itself.
The killings continued. Salomon Andres Ramirez, 43, died on October 20, 2023 in what GDC classified as an apparent homicide. Ryan Chase Archer, 25, died on December 13, 2023 from a stab wound to the chest after a fight with other prisoners; he had been due to be released in 2024. Raymond Littles, 49, died on April 16, 2024 in an incident classified as a homicide, with another prisoner disciplined. A more recent inmate death was confirmed by GDC to WTOC without further detail about the individual or cause. Beyond Coastal State's own walls, reporting has connected the facility's pattern to wider Georgia conditions: WALB reported that a March 2020 assault at Coastal State was forwarded for investigation, no records of such an investigation exist, and the same individual later strangled a cellmate to death at another prison.
Crumbling Infrastructure and a Failed Public-Health Inspection
The physical condition of Coastal State has been documented in granular detail by The Georgia Virtue, which obtained the Georgia Department of Public Health's April 23 inspection of the facility. The inspection produced a grade of 70 and gave the facility until May 3 to correct the cited issues. Inspectors observed live flies and roaches in the kitchen and a dead mouse floating in backed-up mop water in the mess hall dishpit — a repeat violation. Mold-like growth was found on ceiling tiles throughout the entire kitchen area, alongside peeling and missing ceiling tiles, also a repeat violation. Buildup of a mildew-like substance was found in the interior of the ice machine, and inspectors noted no sanitizer in the three-compartment sink while inmates were actively washing dishes — another repeat violation. Fish was measured at 122°F and chicken at 98°F sitting on the counter, both well below the 135°F hot holding minimum. The person in charge failed to ensure safe food handling practices, including proper hot holding temperatures, food protection from contamination, and sanitized food contact surfaces. Inspectors documented multiple plumbing failures including a leaking pipe, a sink whose hot water could not be turned on or off, a loose spigot, and a backed-up mop sink, and observed exit doors with large gaps underneath that allowed entry of insects and rodents.
This was not a single bad day. Reporting documented that Coastal State has been on a steady decline in health scores since at least February 2025, scoring an 87 in February 2025, an 80 in October, and 70 in the most recent inspection. WTOC Investigates obtained maintenance records from May to November 2025 showing over $5,000 spent on pest control at the facility; the Department of Corrections reported it has no records related to mold remediation. Workers interviewed by WTOC described crumbling infrastructure and unsanitary conditions including black mold throughout housing units, rat and mice infestations, and frequent air conditioning and heating failures.
Staff Conduct, Lockdowns, and Accountability Gaps
WTOC's reporting on staff conduct at Coastal State describes a facility in which discipline against officers for violence does not appear in the records the agency itself produced. GDC records show no correctional officers were disciplined for violence against inmates over a six-month period in 2025, despite employees telling the outlet such violence is a common occurrence. Some correctional officers were alleged to brutally beat inmates regularly, with one employee reporting hearing screams during their walk to work caused by someone being beaten. Staff were also alleged to withhold food from inmates as punishment, including not waking sleeping inmates for meal calls and then denying them food.
Lockdowns have functioned as an additional layer of deprivation. WTOC reported that inmates were subjected to lockdowns lasting seven to ten days without shower access, and that the practice prevents inmates from attending classes and programs needed to earn Performance Incentive Credits for early parole eligibility — meaning the lockdown regime has direct consequences for sentence length, not merely day-to-day conditions. GPS has received accounts from inmates and family members describing denial of adequate medical care at Coastal State, including reports of abrupt discontinuation of prescribed medications and gaps in monitoring of chronic conditions. GPS has also received reports raising disability-accommodation concerns regarding the housing of mobility-impaired incarcerated people in segregation at the facility.
Sources
This analysis draws on reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WTOC, WALB, and The Georgia Virtue; on the 2024 U.S. Department of Justice investigation of Georgia prison conditions; on federal court proceedings in Georgia's Middle District involving GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver; on Georgia Department of Public Health inspection records; on civil lawsuits filed in the deaths of Kion E. Parks and Rufus Ramon Lee; and on inmate and family accounts collected by GPS staff.
Timeline (41)
Source Articles (18)
Former leadership
Officials who previously held leadership roles at this facility.
| Role | Name | Tenure | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warden (facility lead) | Glenn, Phillip | 2024-06-16 → present | 91 / 91 |
| WARDEN 2 (facility lead) | Glenn, Phillip | 2024-01-01 → 2024-06-15 | 91 / 91 |
| WARDEN 2 (facility lead) | Pineiro, Aaron Thomas | 2023-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | 30 / 79 |
| WARDEN 1 (facility lead) | Pineiro, Aaron Thomas | 2022-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | 30 / 79 |
| Deputy Warden of Security (facility deputy) | Finch, Karen Ruth | 2024-08-01 → present | 61 / 69 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Kaigler, Briana | 2024-01-01 → 2024-12-31 | 91 / 91 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Finch, Karen Ruth | 2024-01-01 → 2024-07-31 | 61 / 69 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Glenn, Phillip | 2023-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | 91 / 91 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Kaigler, Briana | 2023-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | 91 / 91 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Kaigler, Briana | 2022-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | 91 / 91 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Glenn, Phillip | 2022-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | 91 / 91 |
| Deputy Warden of Administration (facility deputy) | Glenn, Phillip | 2014-01-01 → 2014-12-31 | 91 / 91 |
Location
Aerial View
Architecture documents what the building was designed to hold. See the system-wide receipts at gps.press/warehouse.