News from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Prisons, education, school vouchers: A quick look at the 2026 Georgia state budget The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which begins in July. Here’s what you need to know. Boost for prisons: Gov. Brian Kemp has made improving safety and security in Georgia’s troubled prison system a …
As state legislators work to craft complex and costly plans to fix Georgia’s troubled prison system, they may face an extra challenge: Conditions inside the wire appear to be getting even worse. Thirteen prison deaths from Jan. 1 to Feb. 4 are being investigated as homicides, prison officials told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That’s an extraordinarily …
Two prisoners at Hancock State Prison were found dead just feet apart after gang-related violence erupted Thursday at one of the most poorly staffed prisons in Georgia. The bodies of William Holeman, 34, and Prince Porter, 38, were found in the same dorm about 15-20 feet apart, according to Hancock County Coroner Dontrelle Andrews, who …
Staffing vacancies for correctional officers at 20 of Georgia’s 34 prisons have reached “emergency levels,” making it impossible to keep up with even basic protocols such as routine counts of prisoners, according to consultants hired by Gov. Brian Kemp to evaluate the Department of Corrections. At some prisons, gangs are “effectively running the facilities,” in …
Gov. Kemp takes a bold step on prison reform. There’s more to do. Years after horrifying abuses and corruption in the Georgia state prison system began to come to light, Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Legislature are taking action. On Tuesday, Kemp released his proposals to finally address the problem, including $600 million in …
Tex McIver released from prison Former attorney Claud “Tex” McIver was released from prison early Thursday, almost a year after pleading guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter over the 2016 shooting death of his wife, Diane McIver. His attorney, Don Samuel, said McIver was paroled shortly after midnight. He said the 82-year-old wants to …
Lawmakers get jump on prison budget during rare subcommittees meeting This article originally appeared in Politically Georgia AM. Gov. Brian Kemp won’t reveal his budget for another week. But we’ll get a sneak peek at a big part of it today during a special meeting at the state Capitol. Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver …
After months of silence and denials about the crisis in the state prison system, Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday made a powerful statement acknowledging the troubles. He unveiled a series of recommendations to address long-standing problems, and he called for more than $600 million in additional funding for the Georgia Department of Corrections over the …
TORPY: Inhumanity rules at Georgia’s prisons. But does anyone care? The conditions in Georgia’s prison system are anything but humane. But the humans involved are convicted criminals, so that largely draws shrugs. In October, federal investigators released a report that “lays bare the horrific and inhumane conditions” inside Georgia’s prisons. “Our statewide investigation exposes long-standing, …
Georgia prison system engages in deception as crisis builds U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell had seen enough. The defendants in a long-running civil case had come into his courtroom and repeatedly claimed to have lived up to the terms of a settlement when they clearly had not. He did not mince words. “The Court …