# GDC Budget: FY 2026–2027 > 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 p… **Published**: 2026-03-01 **Source**: https://gps.press/gdc-budget/ **Author**: TellMyStory --- 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 State Prisons$938.7M (52.2%) Health Program$417.3M (23.2%) Private Prisons$173.5M (9.6%) Other Programs$269.7M (15.0%) 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 beds****263 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. [Read the Full Explainer](https://gps.press/research-explainers/georgia-doc-budget-fy2026-fy2027/) [Year-by-Year Comparison](https://gps.press/gdc-budget-comparison/) [← Back to GDC Statistics](https://gps.press/gdc-statistics/) 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 [GDC Statistics](https://gps.press/gdc-statistics/) [Death Records](https://gps.press/georgia-prison-deaths/) [Policy Library](https://gps.press/GDC-Policy-Library/)