HANCOCK STATE PRISON

State Prison Close Security GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections) Male

Facility Information

Capacity
1,191 beds
Current Population
1,190
Address
701 Prison Boulevard, Sparta, GA 31087
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 339, Sparta, GA 31087
County
Hancock County
Opened
1991
Operator
GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
Warden
Joshua Jones
Phone
(706) 444-1000
Fax
(706) 444-1137
Staff
  • Deputy Warden Security: Christopher McAlister
  • Deputy Warden Security: Gabriel IIa
  • Deputy Warden C&T: Alisa Hammock
  • Deputy Warden Admin: Jonathan Swinford

About

Hancock State Prison in Sparta is a close-security men’s prison built around 1990 and opened in 1991. It houses many of the state’s highest-risk prisoners under Tier I and Tier II close-custody management, with multiple segregation and isolation units and an annex area alongside dormitory housing. Hancock has a long history of violence, including riots and homicides, and serious infrastructure problems such as inoperable locks and chronic understaffing, making it a focal point in investigations of unconstitutional conditions and gang control inside Georgia prisons.

Mortality Statistics

22 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.

Deaths by Year

  • 2025: 6
  • 2024: 2
  • 2023: 3
  • 2022: 5
  • 2021: 4
  • 2020: 2

View all deaths at this facility →