# Legislative Resource Center > For Georgia Legislators Legislative Resource Center Independent data, fiscal analysis, and policy research on Georgia's corrections system. Everything members of the General Assembly need to m… **Published**: 2026-03-02 **Source**: https://gps.press/legislators/ **Author**: Admin --- For Georgia Legislators # Legislative Resource Center Independent data, fiscal analysis, and policy research on Georgia's corrections system. Everything members of the [General Assembly](https://www.legis.ga.gov/) need to make informed decisions about the state's [$1.8 billion prison system](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-budget-and-research-office-document-library/2027-fiscal-year/fy_2027_bill_conf_cmte_(hb_974).pdf). $1.80B GDC Budget, Amended FY 2026 [FY 2027 Appropriations Act (HB 974)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-budget-and-research-office-document-library/2027-fiscal-year/fy_2027_bill_conf_cmte_(hb_974).pdf) 301 Deaths in GDC Custody in 2025 GPS Mortality Database 50,000+ People Incarcerated in Georgia Prisons [GDC Monthly Reports](https://gdc.georgia.gov/organization/about-gdc/agency-activity/research-and-reports/monthly-statistical-reports) 142 Homicides in GDC Prisons (2018–2023) [DOJ Investigation](https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-09/findings_report_-_investigation_of_georgia_prisons.pdf) Taxpayer Dollars ## GDC Budget & Fiscal Impact Georgia's Department of Corrections is one of the largest line items in the state budget. In FY 2025, actual GDC spending reached **$1.91 billion** across all fund sources — a **$387 million increase (+25.4%)** over FY 2024, the largest single-year jump in recent history. Virtually all of it — 99.1% — comes from [state general funds](https://opb.georgia.gov/budget-information/budget-documents/governors-budget-reports), meaning Georgia taxpayers bear nearly the entire cost. #### Where the Money Goes (Amended FY 2026) - **State Prisons:** $938.7M (52.2%) — staffing, operations, security at state-run facilities - **Health Program:** $417.3M (23.2%) — the fastest-growing category, rising to $432.2M in FY 2027 - **Private Prisons:** $173.5M (9.6%) — payments to for-profit prison operators, growing to $177.8M - **Other Programs:** $269.7M (15.0%) — transitional centers, county jail subsidies, administration #### What Gets Shortchanged - **Education:** $953K in FY 2027 — less than a single OWL Unit tech upgrade ($5.5M) - **Reentry:** $133K total over two years for Metro Reentry — 0.007% of the GDC budget - **Surveillance:** $13.4M for managed access + drones in FY 2026 alone — 14x the education budget - **New CO positions:** $26.8M in FY 2027 signals severity of the staffing crisis All figures sourced from the [HB 974 Conference Committee (FY 2027 Appropriations Act)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-budget-and-research-office-document-library/2027-fiscal-year/fy_2027_bill_conf_cmte_(hb_974).pdf) (Pages 145–152). For additional fiscal context, see the [Georgia Budget & Policy Institute's GDC budget overview](https://gbpi.org/overview-2026-fiscal-year-budget-for-the-georgia-department-of-corrections/). GPS maintains a complete independent analysis of the GDC budget with line-item breakdowns, year-over-year comparisons, and fiscal context for every major spending category: [View Full GDC Budget Analysis (FY 2026–2027) →](/gdc-budget/) Federal Findings ## U.S. Department of Justice Investigation (October 2024) In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice released a [93-page findings report](https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-09/findings_report_-_investigation_of_georgia_prisons.pdf) from a multi-year civil rights investigation into Georgia's prison system. The DOJ concluded that conditions across GDC facilities violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. U.S. Senators [Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock urged the state to act](https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/following-doj-investigation-sens-ossoff-rev-warnock-urge-state-of-georgia-to-swiftly-address-unconstitutional-conditions-in-state-prisons/) on the findings. Key conclusions include: Healthcare The DOJ described GDC healthcare as **"abhorrent"** and **"unconstitutional,"** finding systemic failures in medical and mental health treatment that directly contribute to preventable deaths. Violence GDC facilities are **"out of control"** with a homicide rate far exceeding national prison averages. Between November 2021 and August 2023, GDC recovered **27,425 weapons** from its prisons. National comparison data from the [Bureau of Justice Statistics](https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/mortality-state-and-federal-prisons-2001-2019-statistical-tables) shows Georgia's violence rates are among the worst in the country. Staffing Severe officer shortages leave facilities dangerously understaffed. GDC has **5,991 budgeted correctional officer positions** but cannot fill them, with turnover rates among the highest in the Southeast. Accountability The DOJ found systemic failures in oversight, with deaths going uninvestigated, medical emergencies ignored, and violent incidents underreported. GPS has published a comprehensive analysis of the DOJ findings and GDC's pattern of defying federal oversight: [Read: Above the Law — GDC Defies Courts, DOJ, and Legislators →](/above-the-law-gdc-defies-courts-doj-and-legislators/) GPS Research & Intelligence ## Briefing Materials for Legislators GPS produces two types of briefing materials for the General Assembly: a weekly **legislative intelligence brief** that synthesizes the most current data on Georgia's prison system, and **policy research briefs** that provide deep analysis of specific reform areas with fiscal impact data and actionable recommendations. ### Legislative Intelligence Brief Updated weekly, the GPS legislative intelligence brief compiles verified data from GPS's tracking systems — mortality trends, facility-level population and overcrowding data, legal settlement exposure, staffing vacancy rates, and reform opportunities with bipartisan precedent in other states. The brief is framed specifically for legislators and staff: fiscal impact to taxpayers, liability exposure from continued inaction, and concrete policy recommendations including GPS's [Vision 2027](/vision2027/) reform package and [End the Warehouse](/end-the-warehouse/) transformation plan. Built from 1,770+ independently tracked deaths, 114 facility profiles, 84+ research collections, and verified GDC statistical reports. [Read Legislative Intelligence Brief →](/intelligence/legislative/) [GDC System Overview →](/intelligence/overview/) [Browse Facility Intelligence →](/intelligence/facility/) ### Policy Research Briefs The GPS Research Division produces in-depth policy analysis written for members of the General Assembly: data-driven findings, fiscal impact analysis, taxpayer cost breakdowns, and actionable recommendations. Topics include: - **Healthcare privatization failures** — death rates up to 58% higher in privatized facilities - **Classification breakdowns driving violence** — misclassification and a five-fold increase in homicides - **Zero-wage labor exploitation** — hundreds of millions in extracted labor value - **[Post-conviction justice reform](/vision2027/)** — the Vision 2027 legislative package backed by 7 of 9 Georgia Supreme Court justices - **Infrastructure crisis** — the $600M emergency plan confronting decades of neglect - **Parole system collapse** — 42% fewer releases as costs soar [Browse Policy Research Briefs →](/research-for-legislators/) Policy Areas ## Key Issues Requiring Legislative Action Based on GPS research, [DOJ findings](https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-09/findings_report_-_investigation_of_georgia_prisons.pdf), and the [2024 Senate Study Committee report](https://www.senate.ga.gov/committees/Documents/2024SenateStudyCommDOCFinalReport.pdf), the following areas represent the most urgent opportunities for legislative intervention: #### Healthcare & Mental Health DOJ found healthcare "unconstitutional." $417M+ spent annually on a system that still produces preventable deaths. Privatized providers operate without adequate oversight. #### Violence & Safety 142 homicides in 5 years. 27,425 weapons recovered. Staffing shortages leave facilities ungovernable and gangs fill the vacuum. #### Staffing Crisis 5,991 budgeted officer positions, chronic vacancies. FY 2027 adds $26.8M for new positions — 5x the FY 2026 investment — signaling the severity of the problem. #### Parole & Sentencing Parole releases have dropped 42%. People serve far beyond minimum sentences. The [parole board](https://pap.georgia.gov/) operates with minimal transparency or oversight. #### Wrongful Convictions An estimated 2,500 innocent people in Georgia prisons. Only 3 of 159 counties have conviction integrity units. Georgia's Supreme Court has [called on the legislature to act](https://gps.press/vision2027/). #### Infrastructure Aging facilities require $600M+ in emergency repairs. Many prisons were built 40–60 years ago and lack basic safety infrastructure. #### Prison Labor Georgia pays incarcerated workers $0 for all regular work assignments. One of a shrinking number of states with zero-wage prison labor. #### Transparency & Oversight GDC routinely withholds death data, resists [open records requests](https://law.georgia.gov/key-issues/open-government/open-records), and operates with limited independent oversight. #### Reentry & Recidivism Metro Reentry receives $133K over two years — 0.007% of the GDC budget. Georgia's recidivism rate remains among the nation's highest. 2027 Legislative Session ## Vision 2027: The Georgia Post-Conviction Justice Act On March 3, 2026, **seven of nine Georgia Supreme Court justices** acknowledged that the state's post-conviction system is fundamentally broken. Chief Justice Peterson's concurrence declared it a system **“no rational person would have chosen”** and called directly on the General Assembly to fix it. (*Sanders v. State*, No. S26A0222) GPS has developed a **seven-bill legislative package** — the Georgia Post-Conviction Justice Act — with complete research, policy briefs, and model legislation for each reform. The 2027 session is the target window. Each brief below is written for legislators and staff: Bill 1[The Deadline That Bars the Innocent](https://gps.press/vision2027/habeas-deadline/) — Repeal the 4-year habeas deadline. No innocence exception. National outlier. Bill 2[The Title 17 Paradox](https://gps.press/vision2027/title-17-paradox/) — Restore two neutralized statutes (1863 & 1967) to their plain meaning. Bill 3[The IAC Trap](https://gps.press/vision2027/iac-trap/) — Fix the broken IAC process. The reform Peterson asked for by name. Bill 4[Behind the Locked Library Door](https://gps.press/vision2027/legal-access/) — Post-conviction counsel and meaningful legal access. Bill 5[The Conviction Integrity Gap](https://gps.press/vision2027/conviction-integrity/) — Statewide commission + first-in-nation CIU mandate. 0.14% of budget. Bill 6[The Trial Penalty](https://gps.press/vision2027/trial-penalty/) — Pre-plea disclosure, trial penalty limits, data collection. Bill 7[The Prosecutor Accountability Gap](https://gps.press/vision2027/prosecutor-accountability-gap/) — 88.6% of grievances dismissed at intake. 0.66% result in action. The full reform package — all seven bills, the 10-part investigative series, and the coalition-building initiative — costs less than 1% of Georgia's $1.8 billion corrections budget and could recover $59–$172 million per year wasted on wrongful incarceration. [View Full Vision 2027 Campaign →](https://gps.press/vision2027/) Independent Data ## GPS Data & Statistics GPS maintains the largest independent, publicly accessible database on Georgia prison conditions. The following resources are available to all legislators and staff, updated regularly from [GDC's own published reports](https://gdc.georgia.gov/organization/about-gdc/research-and-reports), court filings, and independent verification. ### [GDC Budget Analysis](/gdc-budget/) A complete independent analysis of the [Governor's GDC budget for FY 2026–2027](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-budget-and-research-office-document-library/2027-fiscal-year/fy_2027_bill_conf_cmte_(hb_974).pdf). Every major line item is broken down with year-over-year comparisons, spending trends, and fiscal context. Covers state prisons ($938.7M), healthcare ($417.3M), private prisons ($173.5M), staffing investments, surveillance spending, education and reentry funding, and the gap between security spending and rehabilitation investment. [View Budget Analysis →](/gdc-budget/) ### [GDC Statistics Dashboard](/gdc-statistics/) GPS independently processes GDC's own [Friday Reports and Monthly Statistical Reports](https://gdc.georgia.gov/organization/about-gdc/agency-activity/research-and-reports/standing-reports/statistical-trends) into a comprehensive, searchable statistics dashboard. Includes current prison population figures, demographic breakdowns, facility-level population data, capacity and overcrowding metrics, parole and release statistics, length of stay data across 304 offense categories spanning 34 years, drug admission profiles, and historical trend analysis. [View GDC Statistics →](/gdc-statistics/) ### [Mortality Database](/gdc-mortality-statistics/) GPS has documented **1,736+ deaths** in GDC custody — the most comprehensive independent record of prison mortality in Georgia. National context from the [Bureau of Justice Statistics](https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/mortality-state-and-federal-prisons-2001-2019-statistical-tables) shows Georgia's mortality rates significantly exceed the national average. In 2025 alone, **301 people died** in GDC custody. In 2024, the count was 333. [View Mortality Data →](/gdc-mortality-statistics/)