The DOJ documented a fivefold increase in Georgia prison homicides between 2018 and 2023. The state’s own reports showed only 6 homicides in the same period the DOJ found 18. This gap defines Georgia’s prison oversight problem: state audits focus on operational efficiency while federal investigations uncover constitutional violations. Legislative audits happen regularly but miss systemic abuse. DOJ reports expose abuse but happen only when conditions become catastrophic. Georgia needs both—and neither is working. 1
How Oversight Works
Georgia’s prison system faces two types of scrutiny:
- Legislative audits — State-mandated reviews of operational efficiency and policy compliance
- DOJ investigations — Federal reviews triggered by evidence of constitutional violations
They serve different purposes. Legislative audits check whether facilities follow state rules. DOJ investigations determine whether conditions violate constitutional rights.
Legislative Audits: What They Find
State audits focus on operations:
- Financial compliance — Are funds spent according to budget?
- Staffing levels — Are positions filled as required?
- Facility conditions — Do buildings meet maintenance standards?
- Policy adherence — Are state regulations followed?
Agencies submit improvement plans within 60 days of audit findings. Implementation is handled internally by the Georgia Department of Corrections—the same agency being audited.
DOJ Investigations: What They Find
Federal investigations dig deeper:
- Constitutional violations — Cruel and unusual punishment, denial of medical care
- Systemic failures — Patterns of violence, neglect, and abuse
- Death investigations — Misclassified deaths, covered-up homicides
- Civil rights violations — Conditions that violate federal law
The 2024 DOJ investigation found Georgia prisons violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. That finding came after years of violence state audits failed to address.
The 2024 DOJ Findings
The DOJ’s investigation of 17 Georgia facilities revealed:
- Fivefold increase in homicides — From 5 annually in 2018 to 25+ in 2023
- Misclassified deaths — DOJ found 18 likely homicides; GDC reported 6
- Gang control — Housing units run by gangs, not staff
- Medical neglect — Deaths from treatable conditions
- Mental health gaps — Insufficient care leading to suicides
State audits never identified these constitutional violations. They focused on operational metrics while people died.
Why Both Systems Fail
Legislative audits miss systemic abuse because they measure compliance, not outcomes. A facility can pass every audit while inmates die of violence and neglect.
DOJ investigations come too late. By the time federal investigators arrive, conditions have been catastrophic for years. The 2024 report documented problems that families and advocates reported for a decade.
Neither system provides real-time accountability. Neither prevents harm before it occurs.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding meaningful prison oversight. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers combining DOJ findings with GPS data—no experience required.
Demand:
- Independent oversight with enforcement authority
- Transparent death reporting verified by outside investigators
- Public access to audit findings and compliance data
- Accountability for facilities that fail to protect inmates
Further Reading
- Georgia Prisons: Transparency vs. Secrecy
- Georgia Prison Deaths: DOJ Findings Explained
- GPS Informational Resources
- Pathways to Success
About Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS)
Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS) is a nonprofit investigative newsroom built in partnership with incarcerated reporters, families, advocates, and data analysts. Operating independently from the Georgia Department of Corrections, GPS documents the truth the state refuses to acknowledge: extreme violence, fatal medical neglect, gang-controlled dorms, collapsed staffing, fraudulent reporting practices, and unconstitutional conditions across Georgia’s prisons.
Through confidential reporting channels, secure communication, evidence verification, public-records requests, legislative research, and professional investigative standards, GPS provides the transparency the system lacks. Our mission is to expose abuses, protect incarcerated people, support families, and push Georgia toward meaningful reform based on human rights, evidence, and public accountability.
Every article is part of a larger fight — to end the silence, reveal the truth, and demand justice.
- DOJ Report, https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-09/findings_report_-_investigation_of_georgia_prisons.pdf[↩]