# Ware State Prison fire-exit inspections: the June 23 and August 24, 2026 reports, photos and emails

- Agency: Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, Safety Fire Division
- Requested by: Georgia Prisoners' Speak
- Request: S000148-090126
- Filed: 2026-09-01
- Status: Partly fulfilled (OCI released the two inspection reports and the photographs on September 2, 2026, and three emails on October 8 that it said were "inadvertently left off the original production." Item 4 (other GDC prisons with egress violations since January 2024) has not been answered. The September 24 follow-up inspection is in the related request S000160-092126.)
- Cost: $0.00 (No fee charged)
- Page: https://gps.press/records/s000148-090126/

The State Fire Marshal's Office inspected Ware State Prison in Waycross on June 23, 2026 after a complaint about locked fire exits, and again on August 24 after a second anonymous complaint. Both reports rate the prison Non-Compliant on "means of egress of approved type." The June report found barrel bolts on the fire-exit doors of every housing building except Building I; prison staff said the bolts were used because people inside pop the key locks. The August follow-up found the bolts still in place and additional sliding barrel bolts on the dorm buildings' main entrance and exit doors. This record has both reports, the 11 photographs the inspectors took (released as HEIC files, with JPEG copies for viewing), and three emails OCI released on October 8 showing it sent the June report to Ware's warden and GDC's fire chief on June 26, 2026.

## Documents

| Document | Kind | Received | File |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Inspection report, June 23, 2026 complaint inspection (permit INS26-002452)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/ISG_Building_Inspection_Report__1_.pdf) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 2 p., 33 KB |
| [Inspection report, August 24, 2026 follow-up and second complaint (permit INS26-003396)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/ISG_Building_Inspection_Report__2_.pdf) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 2 p., 34 KB |
| [Email, June 26, 2026: June inspection report sent to Ware's warden and GDC's fire chief](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Complaint_Investigation_Inspection_-_Ware_State_Prison.msg) | As released by the agency | 2026-10-08 | 145 KB |
| [Email, June 26, 2026: the same message (duplicate copy)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Complaint_Investigation_Inspection_-_Ware_State_Prison_1.msg) | As released by the agency | 2026-10-08 | 158 KB |
| [Email, August 25, 2026: follow-up report sent to Ware's warden and GDC's fire chief](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Follow_Up_InspectionComplaint_Investigation_-_Ware_State_Prison.msg) | As released by the agency | 2026-10-08 | 151 KB |
| [Photo: Damaged faceplate for the key cylinder on an interior fire-exit door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Damaged_faceplate_for_key_cylinder_on_interior_fire_exit_doors-damage_from_inmates_tampering_with_doors.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 1.7 MB |
| [Photo: Damaged faceplate for the key cylinder on an interior fire-exit door (second photo)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Damaged_faceplate_for_key_cylinder_on_interior_fire_exit_doors-damage_from_inmates_tampering_with_doors_2.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 1.8 MB |
| [Photo: Damaged key cylinder on an interior fire-exit door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Damaged_key_cylinder_from_inmates_tampering_with_cylinder_on_interior_fire_exit_doors.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 1.9 MB |
| [Photo: Exterior door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Exterior_door.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 4.2 MB |
| [Photo: Interior side of the fire-exit doors from the dorm buildings](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Interior_side_of_fire_exit_doors_from_dorm_buildings.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 1.4 MB |
| [Photo: Large slide bolt, operated from inside the control room, on the main entrance/exit doors](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Large_slide_bolt_operated_from_inside_control_room_on_main_entranceexit_doors_.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 2.8 MB |
| [Photo: Large slide bolt on the main entrance/exit doors (second photo)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Large_slide_bolt_operated_from_inside_control_room_on_main_entranceexit_doors_2.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 2.6 MB |
| [Photo: Slide bolt with a plastic tag on an exterior door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Slide_bolt_with_plastic_tag_on_exterior_door.heic) | As released by the agency | 2026-09-02 | 4.5 MB |
| [The three October 8 emails as a PDF (prepared by GPS)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/OCI-S000148-additional-records-2026-10-08.pdf) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-10-08 | 10 p., 151 KB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Damaged faceplate for the key cylinder on an interior fire-exit door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Damaged_faceplate_for_key_cylinder_on_interior_fire_exit_doors-damage_from_inmates_tampering_with_doors.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 1.4 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Damaged faceplate for the key cylinder on an interior fire-exit door (second photo)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Damaged_faceplate_for_key_cylinder_on_interior_fire_exit_doors-damage_from_inmates_tampering_with_doors_2.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 1.6 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Damaged key cylinder on an interior fire-exit door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Damaged_key_cylinder_from_inmates_tampering_with_cylinder_on_interior_fire_exit_doors.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 1.6 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Exterior door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Exterior_door.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 4 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Interior side of the fire-exit doors from the dorm buildings](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Interior_side_of_fire_exit_doors_from_dorm_buildings.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 1.5 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Large slide bolt, operated from inside the control room, on the main entrance/exit doors](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Large_slide_bolt_operated_from_inside_control_room_on_main_entranceexit_doors_.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 2.1 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Large slide bolt on the main entrance/exit doors (second photo)](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Large_slide_bolt_operated_from_inside_control_room_on_main_entranceexit_doors_2.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 2.1 MB |
| [JPEG viewing copy: Slide bolt with a plastic tag on an exterior door](https://gps.press/wp-content/uploads/public-records/s000148-090126/Slide_bolt_with_plastic_tag_on_exterior_door.jpg) | Prepared by GPS | 2026-09-02 | 4 MB |

## What we asked for

> Under the Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., The GDC Accountability Project, Inc. (Georgia Prisoners' Speak), a Georgia nonprofit newsroom, requests the following records of the Safety Fire Division:
> 
> 1. The complete inspection report, findings, photographs, and any notice of violation or corrective-action instruction arising from the unannounced inspection of Ware State Prison (3620 N Harris Road, Waycross, GA 31503) conducted on or about June 23, 2026, by the Safety Fire Division / Building Inspections, Plan Review & CMS program, concerning egress doors and locking devices.
> 
> 2. All records of any follow-up or compliance inspection of Ware State Prison conducted after June 23, 2026, and records sufficient to show the facility's current compliance status with respect to the egress-door findings.
> 
> 3. All correspondence from June 1, 2026 to the date of this request between the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (including the Building Inspections, Plan Review & CMS program) and the Georgia Department of Corrections or Ware State Prison, concerning egress doors, locking devices, or obstruction of exits at Ware State Prison.
> 
> 4. Records sufficient to identify any other Georgia Department of Corrections facility with an egress or exit-obstruction violation identified by the Safety Fire Division since January 1, 2024, and whether each such violation is resolved or outstanding.
> 
> We ask for electronic delivery (PDF) to accountability@gps.press or through this portal. We agree to reasonable copying and administrative fees up to $50.00; please notify us before exceeding that amount, with the itemization described in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d). We understand and accept redactions required by law. Please advise if any portion of this request should be directed to a different custodian.
> The GDC Accountability Project, Inc. (Georgia Prisoners' Speak)
> 285 W Wieuca Rd NE, PMB #4153, Atlanta, GA 30342
> accountability@gps.press · https://gps.press

## What happened

- 2026-09-01: Request filed through OCI's open-records portal.
- 2026-09-02: OCI released the June 23 and August 24 inspection reports (File 26-009306) and 11 photographs.
- 2026-09-21: GPS asked OCI to add the next follow-up inspection to this request; OCI opened it as S000160-092126.
- 2026-10-08: OCI released three emails to Ware's warden and GDC's fire chief, saying they were "inadvertently left off the original production."

Records requested under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), by Georgia Prisoners' Speak or, where a page says so, by another person or group who shared them with GPS. Documents marked "as released" are posted exactly as the agency released them. Files marked "prepared by GPS" are GPS's own compilations of those documents, made for convenience; where they differ, the released document governs. A request is published here when GPS cites it or when its records are useful to readers; records about individual deaths are published on GPS's mortality pages, not here.