Inmate found dead in Valdosta State Prison cell – WTOC

A 21-year-old inmate, Je’Vion Benham, was found dead in his cell at Valdosta State Prison in Georgia on Dec. 24, with the coroner ruling the cause of death as strangulation and the manner as homicide. The Lowndes County Coroner’s Office estimated that Benham died on Monday, Dec. 22, meaning his body went undiscovered for approximately …

A Prison Escape in Georgia

Arthur Lee Cofield, Jr., who stole at least $15 million while incarcerated using contraband cellphones, escaped from a low-security satellite camp adjacent to the Federal Correctional Institution Jesup in Georgia on March 26, 2025. His absence was first noticed during a 4 P.M. institutional count, and he should be considered dangerous, according to a Federal …

Families of Victims Who Died From Heat in Prison Fight to Prevent More Deaths

A recent article highlights the push for Adrienne’s Act in California, which would mandate cooling systems and heat-relief protocols in state prisons following the 2024 heat-related death of incarcerated woman Adrienne Boulware. The bill, which has passed committee stages, would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to implement plans for cooled living quarters, …

Protests as Cicero Institute Launches Homelessness Policy Summit

The Cicero Institute held its first homelessness policy summit in Washington, D.C., on June 5, promoting the criminalization of street homelessness, while advocates with the Housing Not Handcuffs campaign protested. The think tank’s model bill, enacted in 10 states, criminalizes public camping as a misdemeanor punishable by up to one month in jail and a …

Number of African-Americans sent to Georgia prisons hits historic lows – AJC.com

The number of African-Americans admitted to Georgia’s state prisons has fallen to historic lows, according to Department of Corrections records. While overall prison admissions dropped nearly 19 percent over the past eight years, admissions of Black inmates fell by 30 percent. The number of Black inmates entering the system last year was the lowest in …

Behind The Wall: The Shadow Ledger of the Georgia Department of Corrections: Who Really Gets Paid?

2. Georgia Correctional Industries (GCI) Commercial Revenue The GDC runs a legally distinct, self-sustaining corporate arm called Georgia Correctional Industries (GCI). GCI utilizes unpaid or heavily subsidized inmate labor to manufacture commercial goods. Looking past the clean ledgers, federal and state law enforcement investigations have established that a significant amount of cash moves through the …