Georgia spends $1.5 billion annually on corrections. The state ranks among the highest for prison deaths. Every taxpayer dollar funds a system the Department of Justice found unconstitutional—and the budget keeps growing while outcomes worsen. Here’s where your money actually goes. 1
The Budget Breakdown
| Category | Allocation | What It Actually Produces |
|---|---|---|
| State Prisons | $786.1 million | 100+ homicides in 2024 |
| Health Services | $345.8 million | 44th nationally in healthcare spending per inmate |
| Administration | ~$300 million | 49% vacancy rates at some facilities |
The state added $700 million between FY2022-2026. Deaths increased. Violence increased. The vacancy crisis deepened. 2
What Neglect Actually Costs
Underfunding healthcare saves money today. It costs more tomorrow:
- Emergency hospitalizations cost more than preventive care
- Wrongful death lawsuits result in settlements taxpayers fund
- Federal oversight (when it comes) costs more than compliance would have
- Recidivism means paying to incarcerate the same people repeatedly
Georgia’s recidivism rate exceeds 36% within three years, 45% within five. Each return costs $31,612 annually—money spent reincarcerating people instead of keeping them out.
Texas Proved Another Way Works
Texas—not a state known for progressive criminal justice—invested $241 million in rehabilitation programs. Result: $4 billion saved over a decade, reduced incarceration, and maintained public safety.
Georgia refuses to learn. The state builds new prisons ($436.7 million planned for 2026) instead of funding what Texas proved works.
The Death Toll Behind the Numbers
GPS has documented 1,682 deaths in Georgia custody since 2020. 3 Behind each number:
- Families who lost loved ones to treatable conditions
- Medical requests that went unanswered
- Violence the state knew would happen
- People who served their time and never came home
The budget doesn’t reflect these costs. Wrongful death settlements, when they happen, come from separate funds. The true cost of neglect never appears in appropriations hearings.
What Reform Would Cost
Meaningful reform requires reallocation, not necessarily new money:
- Mental health diversion costs ~$25/day vs. $86.61/day for incarceration
- Drug courts cost ~$22/day with 35-40% recidivism reduction
- Competitive staff wages would reduce turnover costs and overtime
- Earlier parole saves $4.53/day vs. $86.61/day—for people released anyway
Georgia spends more to get worse outcomes. The money exists. The will doesn’t.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding budget accountability. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Ask your legislators during appropriations season:
- Why did outcomes worsen after adding $700 million?
- What’s the plan when federal oversight costs exceed current budgets?
- Why fund new prison beds instead of proven alternatives?
Further Reading
- $700 Million More—And Nothing to Show for It
- Parole Theater: How Georgia’s Parole Board Rubber-Stamps Inevitable Releases
- Cruel and Unusual Dentistry: Inside Georgia’s Prison Dental Crisis
- GPS Statistics Dashboard
About Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS)
Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS) is a nonprofit investigative newsroom built in partnership with incarcerated reporters, families, advocates, and data analysts. Operating independently from the Georgia Department of Corrections, GPS documents the truth the state refuses to acknowledge: extreme violence, fatal medical neglect, gang-controlled dorms, collapsed staffing, fraudulent reporting practices, and unconstitutional conditions across Georgia’s prisons.
Through confidential reporting channels, secure communication, evidence verification, public-records requests, legislative research, and professional investigative standards, GPS provides the transparency the system lacks. Our mission is to expose abuses, protect incarcerated people, support families, and push Georgia toward meaningful reform based on human rights, evidence, and public accountability.
Every article is part of a larger fight — to end the silence, reveal the truth, and demand justice.
