Lawmakers question whether $600M investment made Georgia prisons safer
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia lawmakers are pressing for answers after approving a $600 million investment aimed at stabilizing the state’s troubled prison system.
During a House Budget Committee meeting on Monday, members asked whether the money has led to any meaningful improvements as violence, staffing shortages and basic security failures continue.
Committee Chairman Billy Hitchens said one of his top concerns remains broken cell-door locks — a longstanding issue that has allowed inmates to roam freely and fueled gang activity within several facilities.
Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver told lawmakers that fully replacing the locks could take years, though the department is working with vendors on a long-term solution.
Oliver also said staffing trends are improving, noting that Georgia now employs more than 3,000 correctional officers and has seen 20 consecutive months of net hiring gains. The system, however, still needs more than 1,000 officers to meet recommended staffing levels.
For advocates like Wendy Hunnicutt, who became involved in prison reform through a ministry program that supports inmates, the lack of visible change raises serious concerns.
“I haven’t seen any locks being changed. There are no improvements,” Hunnicutt said.
Hunnicutt pointed to ongoing reports of violence and unsanitary conditions she’s heard and seen about in videos circulating online.
The U.S. Department of Justice investigated more than a dozen Georgia prisons last year and found that conditions violated inmates’ constitutional rights.
“We’ve seen prisoners assaulted, carried out on stretchers with blood everywhere,” she said. “There are rats, bugs, filthy showers — everything about the living conditions is horrible.”
Oliver reported to lawmakers that roughly 50,000 people are currently incarcerated in Georgia, the fourth-highest rate in the country. Lawmakers warn that without significant improvements, the system may be unable to keep pace as the prison population is expected to grow to 55,000 by 2030.
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