Ga. prisons struggle with safety despite $600M funding boost
ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) — Georgia lawmakers questioned Monday whether a $600 million funding boost approved last session is making any difference in the state’s troubled prison system.
The prison system has struggled for years with overcrowding, understaffing and dangerous conditions. Lawmakers approved the one-time funding increase hoping it would help stabilize the system.
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Chairman Billy Hitchens said one of his biggest concerns remains broken locks on cell doors. A state review found many locks simply don’t work, letting inmates move freely and gangs operate with little restriction.
Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said replacing every lock could take years, but they are working with vendors now.
Oliver said staffing is improving. Georgia now has more than 3,000 correctional officers, with 20 months of net hiring gains, but still needs over a thousand more to meet recommended ratios.
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The department is also focused on buying drones to stop contraband and increasing mental health support.
Wendy Hunnicutt, who became an advocate through a prison ministry, said the money isn’t reaching the people who need it.
“I haven’t seen any locks being changed. There are no improvements. So where is the $600 million going?” Hunnicutt said.
The Department of Justice investigated more than a dozen prisons in Georgia last year, finding conditions violated the constitutional rights of inmates.
“We’ve seen prisoners assaulted, carried out on stretchers with blood everywhere. There are rats, bugs, filthy showers—everything about the living conditions is horrible,” Hunnicutt said.
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About 50,000 people are incarcerated in Georgia’s prisons and transitional centers. That’s the fourth highest rate of incarceration in the nation. That number is expected to rise to 55,000 by 2030.
Lawmakers warn that unless safety improves soon, the system won’t be able to keep up.
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