TELFAIR STATE PRISON
Facility Information
- Original Design Capacity
- 480 (at 263% capacity)
- Bed Capacity
- 1,400 beds
- Current Population
- 1,261
- Active Lifers
- 436 (34.6% of population) · Apr 2026 GDC report
- Life Without Parole
- 322 (25.5%)
Read: Brown v. Plata - A Legal Roadmap for Georgia's Prison Crisis →
- Address
- 170 Longbridge Road, Helena, GA 31037
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 549, Helena, GA 31037
- County
- Telfair County
- Opened
- 1992
- Operator
- GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
- Warden
- Andrew McFarlane
- Phone
- (229) 868-7721
- Fax
- (229) 868-6509
- Staff
- Deputy Warden Security: Denisha Foster
- Deputy Warden Security: Rickey Wilcox
- Deputy Warden C&T: Tonja Keith
- Deputy Warden Admin: Darrell Wooten
About
Telfair State Prison in McRae-Helena is a close-security prison for adult male felons that opened in 1992. It combines open-dorm housing with multiple double-bunked cell units and segregation/isolation cells for high-risk or hard-to-manage prisoners. Telfair has been the subject of national scrutiny for extreme violence, including multiple inmate and staff homicides, and for the documented death of a prisoner from heat exposure after being left in an outdoor cage – incidents that figured prominently in the U.S. Department of Justice’s findings on Georgia prisons.
Mortality Statistics
56 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.
Deaths by Year
- 2026: 3
- 2025: 15
- 2024: 11
- 2023: 8
- 2022: 5
- 2021: 3
- 2020: 11
County Public Health Department
Food service and sanitation at TELFAIR STATE PRISON fall under the jurisdiction of the Telfair 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
- EH Specialist
- Name
- Victoria Thornton
- Address
-
P.O. Box 55328
McRae, GA 31055 - Phone
- (229) 868-7404
- Victoria.Thornton@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.
April 29, 2026
RE: Request for Unannounced Public Health Inspection of Food Service Operations at TELFAIR STATE PRISON
Dear Victoria Thornton,
I am writing to respectfully request that your office conduct a thorough, unannounced inspection of food service and sanitation practices at TELFAIR STATE PRISON, located in Telfair 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2026 | 93 | Routine | |
| Oct 21, 2025 | 87 | Routine | |
| May 13, 2025 | 90 | Routine | |
| Aug 8, 2024 | 81 | Routine | |
| Mar 19, 2024 | 88 | Routine | |
| Oct 16, 2023 | 84 | Followup | |
| Sep 19, 2023 | 78 | Routine |
March 26, 2026 — Score 93
Routine · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11A |
proper cooling methods used: adequate equipment for temperature control 511-6-1.04(6)(e) - cooling methods (pf, c) Corrected | 3 | Cut cabbage in the walk in cooler was covered and not cooling faster as it should.CA: Cooling shall be accomplished in accordance with the time and temperature criteria by loosely covered or uncovered if protected from overhead contamination during the cooling period to facilitate heat transfer from the surface of the food.COS: Uncovered during inspection. |
| 12C |
wiping cloths: properly used and stored 511-6-1.04(4)(m) - wiping cloths, use limitation (c) Repeat | 3 | Observed 3 wiping cloths at the baking station wet and not stored in a bucket of sanitizer.CA: Wiping cloths must be stored in a sanitizer bucket in between uses. |
October 21, 2025 — Score 87
Routine · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A |
proper cold holding temperatures 511-6-1.04(6)(f) - time/temperature control for safety; cold holding (p) Corrected | 9 | Box of single carton milks sitting on the counter in the baking stating temperature at 63F-65F. Several milks stored in the walk-in of the baking area at 45F. Time/temperature control for safety food must be cold held at 41F or below. COS: Milks discarded. |
| 12C |
wiping cloths: properly used and stored 511-6-1.04(4)(m) - wiping cloths, use limitation (c) Repeat | 3 | Wiping cloth chlorine sanitizing solution not at proper minimum strength. |
May 13, 2025 — Score 90
Routine · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use Corrected Repeat | 4 | Observed open personal drinks on the prep line; observed multiple opened drinks in the kitchen and back walk-in cooler. COS - Discussed designated areas for personal drinks. Drinks removed. |
| 12C |
wiping cloths: properly used and stored 511-6-1.04(4)(m) - wiping cloths, use limitation (c) | 3 | Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. |
| 17D |
adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas used 511-6-1.07(4)(b) - designated areas for employee activity, located to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, & single service articles (c) | 1 | Personal coats stored on top of boxes in dry storage; personal items must be stored in designated areas. |
August 8, 2024 — Score 81
Routine · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2B |
proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use 511-6-1.03(5)(k)1&2 - eating, drinking, or using tobacco (c) Corrected | 4 | Observed open personal drinks on the prep line; observed multiple opened drinks in the kitchen and back walk-in cooler. Personal drinks must be in a cup with a lid and straw in food preparation areas. COS - Drinks discarded. |
| 2D |
adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible 511-6-1.07(3)(a) - handwashing cleanser, availability (pf) Corrected | 4 | Observed multiple handwash sinks without soap and papertowels. COS - Soap and papertowels provided by PIC. |
| 2D |
adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible 511-6-1.07(3)(b) - hand drying provision (pf) Corrected | 4 | Observed multiple handwash sinks without soap and papertowels. COS - Soap and papertowels provided by PIC. |
| 2A |
food stored covered 511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(iv) - packaged & unpackaged food, food stored covered(c) Corrected | 4 | Biscuit mix found stored in dry storage found uncovered and subject to contamination. COS- The damaged bags were discarded at the time of inspection. |
| 2 |
proper date marking and disposition 511-6-1.04(6)(g) - ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food, date marking (pf) Corrected Repeat | 4 | Found food in the vegetarian cooler stored past disposal dates in June. Potentially hazardous food must be discarded by the 7 day discard date or use-by day, whichever first. COS - Food discarded. |
| 2 |
proper date marking and disposition 511-6-1.04(6)(g) - ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food, date marking (pf) Corrected | 4 | Bologna in the walk-in cooler not datemarked. Time/temperature control for safety food must be properly dated if held over 24 hours. COS - Person-in-charge did know the items were prepared yesterday and dated accordingly. |
| 12A |
contamination prevented during food preparation, storage, display 511-6-1.04(4)(q) - food storage (c) | 3 | Box of food in the vegan cooler on the floor; box of broccoli in the walk-in freezer on the floor. Food must be 6" off of the floor. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) Corrected | 2 | Walk-in cooler storing eggs and milk has water all over the floor from leaking/broken pipes. Plumbing must be maintained in good repair. |
March 19, 2024 — Score 88
Routine · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2B |
food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized 511-6-1.05(6)(n) - manual and mechanical warewashing equipment, chemical sanitization-temperature, ph, concentration, hardness (p,pf) Corrected | 4 | Chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength for manual warewashing. COS - PIC put correct concentration at time of inspection. Dishes sent back to dishwashing. |
| 2 |
proper date marking and disposition 511-6-1.04(6)(h) - ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food, disposition (p) | 4 | Found food in the vegetarian cooler stored past disposal dates in February. Found milk in the other walk-in cooler dated 3-15-24 discard date. Potentially hazardous food must be discarded by 7 day discard date or use-by day, whichever first. COS - Food discarded. |
| 12B |
personal cleanliness 511-6-1.03(5)(g) - jewelry (c) Repeat | 3 | Observed an inmate preparing food while wearing jewelry (watch) other than a plain ring on their hands/arms. |
October 16, 2023 — Score 84
Followup · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1B |
proper hot holding temperatures 511-6-1.04(6)(f) - time/temperature control for safety; hot holding (p) Corrected | 9 | Observed hot potentially hazardous food (fish) not held at 135F or above. COS - Fish made in the last two hours quickly reheated to above 165F for hot holding. |
| 2 |
proper date marking and disposition 511-6-1.04(6)(g) - ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food, date marking (pf) Corrected | 4 | Observed bologna sandwiches prepared last Saturday without a date of preparation or discard date. COS - Sandwiches discarded. Time/temperature control for safety food must be properly dated if held in the facility over 24 hours. |
| 12C |
wiping cloths: properly used and stored 511-6-1.04(4)(m) - wiping cloths, use limitation (c) | 3 | Wiping cloth bucket had no sanitizer in it. Wet wiping cloths must be a bucket of sanitizer between uses. |
| 12C |
wiping cloths: properly used and stored 511-6-1.04(4)(m) - wiping cloths, use limitation (c) | 3 | Wiping cloth bucket had no sanitizer in it. Wet wiping cloths must be a bucket of sanitizer between uses. |
September 19, 2023 — Score 78
Routine · Inspector: Victoria Thornton
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2A |
food stored covered 511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(iv) - packaged & unpackaged food, food stored covered(c) Corrected | 4 | Flour and oatmeal found uncovered and subject to contamination. Food must be stored covered. COS - PIC informed and items covered. |
| 1A |
proper cold holding temperatures 511-6-1.04(6)(f) - time/temperature control for safety; cold holding (p) Corrected | 9 | Observed formally frozen potentially hazardous food (turkey)(eggs) slacking and cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. The walk-in cooler they are stored in is not working. COS - Out of temperature items discarded. |
| 11C |
approved thawing methods used 511-6-1.04(6)(c) - thawing (c) | 3 | Observed potentially hazardous food (turkey/chicken) thawed in an improper manner (in a cooler that is not holding at 41F or below). |
| 12B |
personal cleanliness 511-6-1.03(5)(g) - jewelry (c) | 3 | Observed an inmate serving food wearing jewelry (bracelets) other than a plain ring on their hands/arms. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) | 3 | Observed roach activity as evidenced by live roaches found. |