News from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A death row inmate who fatally shot a man while fleeing from a bank robbery in Gwinnett County wants to become the first person in Georgia’s modern history to be legally executed by firing squad. Michael Nance, 62, appeared before a federal judge in Atlanta on Monday as trial began in his case alleging it …
Two high-ranking state prison staff members, including a deputy warden, have been arrested following separate incidents in which they are accused of having sexual contact with female prisoners. Alonzo L. McMillian, the deputy warden for administration at Pulaski State Prison, and Russell Edwin Clark, a lieutenant at Lee Arrendale State Prison, were arrested within 24 …
Seven Georgia officers accused in contraband scheme run by Valdosta inmate Georgia prison officials were in the midst of a complex investigation focused on drones making contraband drops for inmates when they stumbled onto a separate conspiracy — a criminal scheme enabled by their own staff. While investigators were using wire taps aimed at discovering …
OPINION: The hellhole that is Georgia’s prison system screams for overhaul The state Senate this month authorized a committee to take a deep dive into Georgia’s murderous prison system. Just days later, the warden at Telfair State Prison got stabbed by an inmate during a shakedown by officials looking to unearth contraband in a dorm. …
With prison violence in Georgia at a crisis point, the state Senate has authorized a group of senators to take a fresh look at the Georgia Department of Corrections and identify ways to improve the troubled system. A new seven-member committee, approved unanimously by the Senate, is charged with examining “current issues impacting the ability …
The medical provider for the Georgia prison system backed out of its contract with the Department of Corrections last year after incurring more than $30 million in unanticipated costs, most due to the rampant violence in the state’s prisons, records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show. Wellpath, based in Nashville, Tenn, provided no clues for …
Prison system failures cost Georgia taxpayers millions Since 2018, the state has paid out nearly $20 million to settle claims involving death or injury to prisoners in facilities operated by the Georgia Department of Corrections. The cases involve a range of allegations, including improper medical care, the failure to protect prisoners from violent attacks and …
Opinion: Corrections chief: Georgia’s making progress on prison safety Editor’s note: This opinion piece resulted from a request the AJC made to the office of Gov. Brian Kemp, asking them to respond to an opinion piece about prison conditions written by a group of inmates that is also appearing today on ajc.com/opinion. When I was …
The man who pulled off an astounding multi-million dollar heist from inside Georgia’s toughest state prison was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in federal prison. In imposing the sentence of 135 months, U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones also ordered Arthur Lee Cofield Jr. to pay more than $12.5 million in restitution — …
Opinion: Georgia must fix prison corruption crisis On the face of it, the mission of the Georgia Department of Corrections seems simple enough: “To protect Georgians by operating secure facilities and providing opportunities for offender rehabilitation.” But, as our investigation has revealed, the very opposite is happening. The department – and the state that funds …