Budget Analysis
GDC Budget: FY 2026–2027
Georgia allocates $1.8 billion annually to its Department of Corrections. Here’s exactly where the money goes — and what it reveals about the state’s priorities.
Total Budget Overview
The full GDC appropriation across all fund sources. Georgia’s prison system is one of the largest budget items in state government.
Total GDC Budget FY Comparison
Amended FY 2026$1,799,204,979
FY 2027$1,778,839,635
FY 2026 increase over original+$87,137,031
More than 50,000 offenders serve prison sentences under GDC administration.
Source: Governor’s Budget Report, FY 2027, Page 151
Fund Sources FY 2027
State General Funds$1,762,069,964
Federal Funds$809,589
Opioid Settlement Trust Fund$8,641,839
Agency Funds (commissary, services)$14,855,486
Intra-State Transfers$1,104,596
98.7% of the GDC budget comes from state taxpayers. The new Opioid Settlement Trust Fund ($8.6M) shifts substance abuse costs off the General Fund.
The hidden tax on families: The $14.9 million in “Agency Funds” comes primarily from commissary sales and service fees — revenue extracted from incarcerated people and their families through inflated prices on basic necessities. Families already paying for phone calls, visitation travel, and lost income are forced to subsidize the very system that warehouses their loved ones. GDC profits from the people it fails to rehabilitate.
Page 151
Budget Allocation by Program Amended FY 2026
Over half the budget goes to operating state prisons. Health spending is the fastest-growing category.
Historical Expenditures Actuals
FY 2010 — All Fund Sources$1,078,000,000
FY 2020 — All Fund Sources$1,226,000,000
FY 2024 — All Fund Sources$1,526,654,104
FY 2025 — All Fund Sources$1,913,888,054
FY 2027 — Approved (SAC)$1,787,672,791
GDC spending grew 66% over 15 years ($1.08B to $1.79B). FY 2025 spiked to $1.91B — the highest ever — before the SAC pulled back to $1.79B for FY 2027.
Page 152
Health Program
Healthcare is the fastest-growing line item in the GDC budget. Despite massive spending increases, incarcerated people continue to report delayed and inadequate care.
Total Health Budget Comparison
Amended FY 2026$417,255,739
FY 2027$432,247,728
FY 2026 increase+$39,777,721
FY 2027 increase+$54,769,710
Pages 146, 148, 151
Physical Health Contracts Per Diem
FY 2026 per diem increase+$10,946,108
FY 2027 per diem increase+$23,627,395
FY 2026 additional beds+$12,923,790
FY 2027 additional beds+$24,253,500
Per diem costs more than doubled from FY 2026 to FY 2027, reflecting rising healthcare costs.
Pages 146, 148
Outside-the-Wire Care FY 2026
Increase+$15,000,000
Risk share obligations$20,402,982
Covers hospital visits and specialist care outside prison walls.
Page 146
Mental Health Contracts
FY 2026 increase+$479,411
FY 2027 increase+$1,917,644
Mental health spending increased 4x from FY 2026 to FY 2027 to improve staffing ratios.
Pages 146, 148
Dental & Pharmacy
Dental FY 2026+$374,587
Dental FY 2027+$1,498,347
Pharmacy FY 2027+$3,681,328
Pages 146, 148
Food Services at Modular Units
FY 2026 (4 modular units)+$182,375
FY 2027 (4 modular units)+$364,749
Pages 146, 148
State Prisons Program
The largest single program in the GDC budget. Covers staffing, operations, security, and programming at state-run facilities.
Total State Prisons Budget Comparison
Amended FY 2026$938,705,499
FY 2027$914,864,554
FY 2026 total increase+$36,746,804
FY 2027 total change+$12,905,859
Pages 147, 150, 151
Correctional Officer Staffing Key Priority
FY 2026 new CO positions+$4,982,902
FY 2027 new CO positions+$26,824,134
FY 2026 one-time salary supplement$12,050,341
Supplement per employee$2,000
FY 2027 adds 5x more funding for new officers than FY 2026, signaling the severity of the staffing crisis.
Pages 147, 149
Security & Contraband Technology Surveillance
FY 2026 managed access + drones$13,387,475
FY 2027 managed access + drones$10,793,600
FY 2027 managed access analysts (5)+$409,040
FY 2026 public safety supplies$2,450,500
Cell phone jamming and drone detection systems receive more funding than education and programming combined.
Pages 147, 150
Over Watch & Logistics (OWL) Unit FY 2027
Personnel annualization+$1,238,495
Technology costs+$5,521,230
The OWL Unit — a surveillance and tactical response team — receives $6.8M in FY 2027.
Page 150
Security Threat Groups & Canine Units
FY 2026 gang coordinators (3)$137,802
FY 2027 gang coordinators (3)$377,168
FY 2026 canine handlers (6)$964,650
FY 2027 canine handlers (6)$624,652
Pages 147, 150
Employee Benefits Rate Changes
State Health Benefit (old)29.454%
State Health Benefit (new)20.264%
Teachers Retirement (old)21.91%
Teachers Retirement (new)22.32%
The Health Benefit rate dropped 9.2 percentage points — a significant cost savings for the state.
Pages 147, 148
Private Prisons
Georgia pays for-profit companies to operate prison facilities. The state is expanding private capacity even as overall population remains relatively stable.
Total Private Prisons Budget Comparison
Amended FY 2026$173,540,164
FY 2027$177,767,784
Private prison spending grows while the state is simultaneously spending billions on its own facilities.
Page 151
Bed Expansion FY 2027 New
Coffee Correctional+160 beds
Wheeler Correctional+103 beds
Total new private beds263 beds
Cost for 263 beds$4,227,620
Each new private prison bed costs approximately $16,075 per year.
Page 149
Jail Subsidy Payments Local Jails
FY 2026 increase for jail subsidy+$6,242,030
Payments to county jails housing state inmates awaiting transfer — a direct cost of the jail backlog crisis.
Page 146
Education, Programming & Infrastructure
Investments in rehabilitation, reentry, and facility operations. These items collectively receive a fraction of what security and surveillance receive.
Education & Accreditation
FY 2026 high school diploma staff$93,672
FY 2027 high school diploma staff$953,033
FY 2026 Autry peer-led pilot$150,000
Education spending grew 10x from FY 2026 to FY 2027 — but $953K is still less than what one OWL Unit tech upgrade costs.
Pages 147, 150
Reentry Programming
FY 2026 Metro Reentry Facility+$93,179
FY 2027 Metro Reentry Facility+$39,786
Metro Reentry receives $133K total over two years — approximately 0.007% of the GDC budget.
Pages 147, 150
Modular Unit Operations
FY 2026 (5 units)$880,104
FY 2027 (5 units)$1,760,207
Page 147, 150
Facility Utilization
Jenkins + Riverbend beds+$1,054,637
Lee Arrendale operations+$1,542,179
Food contracts FY 2027+$528,167
Pages 147, 149, 150
Technology & Rent
Inmate assignment system FY 2026+$125,892
Inmate assignment system FY 2027+$257,800
Arnall Training Building rent+$14,000
LaGrange + Clayton rent+$47,197
Pages 146–150
Want to understand what these numbers mean for families?
Our detailed explainer breaks down the budget in plain language.
All figures sourced from the Governor’s Budget Report, Fiscal Year 2027, Georgia Department of Corrections section (Pages 145–152). Budget data reflects the Governor’s recommendations and may differ from final legislative appropriations.
Explore more GPS data and analysis