Ga. lawmakers and governor propose $600 million to fix state prisons – AJC.com

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 …

Opinion: Inhumanity rules at Georgia’s prisons. But does anyone care? – AJC.com

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

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 …

State prisons chief pitches case for funding boost – Georgia Public Broadcasting

ATLANTA — Georgia Department of Corrections officials began laying the groundwork Wednesday for an infusion of state funding to beef up staffing, replace aging infrastructure, and improve inmate health care. The state’s workforce of correctional officers plummeted during the COVID pandemic and has yet to fully recover, Georgia Commissioner of Corrections Tyrone Oliver told members …

Rare murders of women as GA sets homicide record

Rare killings of women come to light as Georgia prisons set homicide record When a prisoner at Lee Arrendale State Prison was found dead in her cell this spring, Hallie Reed called her mother in a panic. Reed was in the same mental health unit as the dead woman, Sherry Joyce, and she told her …

GA prison homicides: a running list

Death behind bars: Here’s how Georgia prisoners are being killed Georgia prisons saw an unprecedented 38 homicides in 2023, topping the previous record of 31 the year before. This year’s death toll has already set another horrific record. At least 44 people have been homicide victims so far in 2024. Among the recent homicides is …

Three Georgia prison guards sentenced to 10 years in contraband trial – AJC.com

A Baldwin County jury found three former correctional officers guilty Wednesday in a trial that exposed a scheme to smuggle drugs and cellphones into a privately operated state prison. Natashia Seals, Tierra Harrison and Shanell Brown, who all worked at Riverbend Correctional Facility in Milledgeville, were found guilty of trading with inmates, making a false …