# COLWELL PROBATION DETENTION CENTER > Colwell Probation Detention Center is a Georgia Department of Corrections facility operating within a system that GPS independently tracks as having recorded 1,778 total deaths since 2020, with accountability for cause of death remaining largely absent due to GDC's refusal to publicly disclose mortality data. Source documentation available to GPS at this time is limited to directory and handbook references, meaning facility-specific incident, lawsuit, and mortality records for Colwell PDC require further investigative development. This page will be updated as GPS expands its reporting on this facility. **Published**: 2026-04-26 **Source**: https://gps.press/intelligence/facility/colwell-pdc/ **Author**: Georgia Prisoners' Speak --- ## Facility Overview Colwell Probation Detention Center (Colwell PDC) is a Georgia Department of Corrections facility listed in the GPS GDC Facilities Directory. As a probation detention center, Colwell holds individuals serving probation detention sentences — a population distinct from the general prison population but subject to the same GDC policies and procedures outlined in the official Georgia DOC Inmate Handbook. Colwell PDC operates within the broader GDC system, which as of April 24, 2026, housed a total of 52,804 incarcerated people, with an additional 2,440 individuals backed up in county jails awaiting transfer. The system-wide population has held relatively stable over the 12-week period tracked by GPS through GDC's weekly Friday reports, reflecting a net increase of 65 individuals between February 6 and April 24, 2026. Facility-specific population data for Colwell PDC has not yet been independently obtained by GPS. ## Systemic Context: GDC Mortality and Accountability Failures While GPS has not yet documented facility-specific deaths or incidents at Colwell PDC, the facility operates within a GDC system that GPS independently tracks as one of the deadliest prison systems in the United States. GPS — not the GDC — maintains the only publicly available cause-of-death database for Georgia's incarcerated population. The GDC does not publicly release cause-of-death information, and GPS classifications are derived from independent investigation, news reporting, family accounts, and public records. Across the GDC system, GPS has recorded 1,778 total deaths since 2020. The most recent full year on record, 2025, saw 301 deaths — including 51 confirmed homicides, 6 suicides, 8 natural deaths, and 5 overdoses, with 230 additional deaths still classified as unknown or pending independent confirmation. In 2026, through April 26, GPS has already recorded 78 deaths system-wide, including 27 confirmed homicides. GPS emphasizes that confirmed homicide counts represent a floor, not a ceiling — the true number is likely significantly higher, as many deaths classified as 'unknown/pending' are awaiting investigative follow-through. System-wide demographics as of April 1, 2026 show 53,514 individuals incarcerated across GDC facilities, with 60.31% Black, 34.11% White, and 5.11% Hispanic. Of the total population, 1,261 individuals are classified as having poorly controlled health conditions, 47 are in mental health crisis, and 6 have terminal illnesses — underscoring the medical care demands placed on every GDC facility, including probation detention centers like Colwell. ## Medical Accountability Across the GDC System The GDC's systemic failure to provide adequate medical care has recently produced one of the largest jury verdicts in Georgia corrections history. On April 2, 2026, a federal jury returned a verdict of $307.6 million against a corporate successor to Corizon Health for the medical neglect of a colostomy patient within the GDC system. This verdict — while not specific to Colwell PDC based on current GPS source documentation — illustrates the scale of medical neglect that has been judicially recognized within the broader system in which Colwell operates. GPS will continue to investigate whether Corizon Health or its corporate successors provided medical services at Colwell PDC during any relevant period, and whether any medical neglect complaints or legal actions have been filed by individuals detained there. Individuals with information about medical conditions at Colwell PDC are encouraged to contact GPS. ## Investigative Gaps and Known Unknowns GPS's current source documentation for Colwell Probation Detention Center is limited to directory listings and the GDC Inmate Handbook reference. No facility-specific incident reports, death records, lawsuits, staffing data, or conditions documentation has yet been independently obtained or verified for this facility. This page reflects the current state of GPS's investigative record — not a finding that no incidents have occurred. Facility-specific intelligence gaps at Colwell PDC include: confirmed or suspected deaths at the facility; use-of-force incidents; staffing levels and officer-to-detainee ratios; healthcare provider contracts and medical grievance outcomes; physical plant conditions including cell capacity and sanitation; and any litigation filed by or on behalf of individuals detained there. GPS actively solicits information from current and former detainees, their families, staff, and legal representatives to build out this record. Submissions can be made through GPS's secure reporting channels.