GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: GDC's STEP program: the step-down from Tier segregation ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-10-04 14:53:48 EDT Research Date: 2026-10-04 Topic: Solitary Confinement / Restrictive Housing JSON: https://gps.press/research-data/gdcs-step-program-the-step-down-from-tier-segregation/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- A GPS open-records return (R031710-091426), produced by the Georgia Department of Corrections on 2026-10-02, provides the first facility-level bed and occupancy counts for the four prisons GDC lists as STEP locations: Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison (20 beds, 3 occupied), Hays State Prison (59 beds, 59 occupied), Macon State Prison (20 beds, 20 occupied), and Smith State Prison (20 beds, 14 occupied), totaling 119 STEP beds with 96 occupied and 23 vacant. The table carries no as-of date and does not distinguish Tier II from Tier III STEP beds, and it conflicts with GDC's own facility web pages for Macon, Telfair, and Georgia Diagnostic. The production adds facility-level STEP capacity and occupancy data that was previously unavailable, while leaving participant-level outcomes (completions, failures, returns to Tier) undocumented. LEGAL FACTS (4) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] DOJ: GDC held in contempt April 2024 over SMU consent decree The DOJ findings report notes that since 2019 GDC has been subject to a consent decree in a civil rights class action challenging conditions of confinement in the Special Management Unit, and that in April 2024 the court held GDC in contempt for failing to comply with court orders and imposed monetary sanctions until GDC comes into compliance. Tags: legal,solitary,conditions,investigations Sources: DOJ Findings Report: Investigation of Georgia Prisons (October 2024) - [reported] Georgia House Bill 714 (did not pass) would have capped restrictive housing at 90 days per year Georgia House Bill 714, which did not pass, would have codified consequences for non-criminal disciplinary infractions, limited use of restrictive housing for disciplinary infractions that are violations of state law, prohibited consecutive periods in restrictive housing, and capped total restrictive housing at no more than 90 days per year unless the offender is a danger to himself/herself, others, or the security of the facility. Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,solitary,legislation Sources: Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes may 2019 - [confirmed] 2018 SMU settlement agreement required out-of-cell time, programming, mental health evaluations In 2018 GDC officials entered into a settlement agreement to improve conditions in the SMU requiring, among other things, a minimum amount of out-of-cell time, access to programming and mental health evaluations, access to tablets, TVs, and books, and meals consistent in quantity and quality. Date: 2018-01-01 Tags: legal,solitary,conditions,mental_health Sources: Federal Judge Terminates Decade-long SMU Case and Calls Out GDC’s “Management Problem” and “Lack of Will” – Southern Center for Human Rights – Equality. Dignity. Justice. - [reported] GDC agreed to improve conditions at 192-bed SMU at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison The Georgia Department of Corrections agreed to improve prison conditions at the 192-bed "special management unit" at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, as part of a settlement reached in a lawsuit brought by inmates who served years in solitary there. Tags: legal,solitary,conditions,facilities Sources: State settles case over solitary confinement prison conditions POLICYS (26) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] GDCP Special Management Unit capacity and Tier III phase structure Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's Special Management Unit houses up to 192 inmates across six housing wings (A through F). A Wing consists of the Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit (SMHTU), housing mental health level 3 and 4 inmates who could not be housed in supportive living units. SMHTU inmates participate in Psycho-Educational and Activity Therapy groups and may attend GED classes if qualified, and are classified into four phases: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Ultimate. The Tier III program consists of five phases (level five being the most restrictive) based on increased privileges for demonstrated appropriate behavior and program compliance. Tags: solitary,mental_health,facilities,policy,operations Sources: PREA Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison Audit Cycle 3 - [reported] GDC reduced Restrictive Housing population in FY2018 partly through STEP GDC's FY2018 annual report states GDC reduced its Restrictive Housing population in FY2018 partly through the Segregated Transition Education Program (S.T.E.P.), along with Specialized Protective Custody (PC) Housing, Specialized Mental Health Treatment Units (S.M.H.T.U.), administrative reviews, changes in offender discipline process, and restructuring of policies and procedures. Tags: solitary,policy,mental_health Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018 - [reported] Telfair State Prison designated Tier I & II STEP facility Telfair State Prison's GDC facility page states the facility is a Tier I & II STEP facility and a Vegan Diet facility. Tags: facilities,policy,operations,reentry Sources: Telfair State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [reported] Tier II STEP policies completed in FY2019 GDC's FY2019 Annual Report states the Tier 2 Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier II STEP) policies were completed in FY2019, describing it as a step-down, incentive-based program for offenders who have successfully completed the Tier II program. Tags: solitary,policy,program Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2019 - [reported] Special Management Unit housing configuration: six cellblocks, single-bunked cells GDC's Special Management Unit facility page states the housing consists of six cellblocks containing single-bunked cells. Tags: facilities,solitary,conditions Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, "Special Management Unit," gdc.georgia.gov - [reported] Tier III STEP consideration within 12 or 6 months of maximum release date Under the current Tier III Program SOP, if an offender in the Tier III Program is within 12 months or six (6) months of their maximum release date (MRD), the Tier III Program Classification Committee shall consider the offender for placement in the Tier III STEP Program. Tags: solitary,policy,reentry,parole Sources: SOP 209.09: Special Management Unit - Tier III Program (effective 6/18/2026) - [reported] Advance scheduling required for Tier III and SMHTU visits GDC's Special Management Unit facility page states that all visits for offenders assigned to the Tier III and SMHTU Program must be scheduled in advance. Tags: policy,solitary,conditions,operations Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, "Special Management Unit," gdc.georgia.gov - [reported] Tier III Program minimum 13 months (390 days) with phase durations The Tier III Program is a minimum 13 month (390 days) program, requiring offenders, if successful at each phase, to spend at least sixty (60) days in E Wing, at least sixty (60) days in F Wing, at least ninety (90) days in D Wing, at least ninety (90) days in C Wing, and at least ninety (90) days in B Wing. Tags: solitary,policy,program Sources: SOP 209.09: Special Management Unit - Tier III Program (effective 6/18/2026) - [reported] Tier III offenders past 24 months placed in Phase 5 if high-risk criteria block removal Offenders who have been in the Tier III Program more than 24 months and have completed program requirements but cannot be removed due to meeting certain high-risk criteria shall be placed in Phase 5. Tags: solitary,policy Sources: SOP 209.09: Special Management Unit - Tier III Program (effective 6/18/2026) - [reported] Quarterly panel review for Tier III retention past 24 months Offenders recommended to remain in the Tier III Program past 24 months shall be reviewed quarterly by a panel made up of the Deputy Director Field Operations, the Statewide Mental Health Director, the Statewide Medical Director, and a member of the Office of Legal Services, and the Director Field Operations or Assistant Commissioner for Facilities must personally approve any decision by the panel to retain an offender past 24 months. Tags: solitary,policy,mental_health,medical Sources: SOP 209.09: Special Management Unit - Tier III Program (effective 6/18/2026) - [reported] Tier III completion leads to consideration for Tier III STEP with Close Security status If an offender successfully completes the Tier III Program under the current Tier III Program SOP, he or she will be considered for reassignment to the Tier III STEP Program with a Close Security status. Tags: solitary,policy,program Sources: SOP 209.09: Special Management Unit - Tier III Program (effective 6/18/2026) - [reported] Georgia segregation policy authorizes placement for excessive destruction of state property Georgia's segregation policy, as cited in the ASCA-Liman report, authorizes segregation when "the offender is involved in incidents involving excessive destruction of state property." Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: policy,solitary,legal Sources: The Liman Center, time in cell 2021 - [reported] Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison houses 90-Day STEP Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's facility page states it houses offenders assigned to a 90-Day S.T.E.P. (Segregated Transition Educated Program). Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: GA Diagnostic Class Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [reported] Colorado step-down provides four hours out-of-cell time per day at one level Colorado's step-down process allows increasing out-of-cell time and congregate activity in progressively larger groups. At one level, people receive four hours of out-of-cell time per day. Tags: solitary,policy,conditions,reentry Sources: vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com: step down programs and transitional units strategy to end long term restrictive housing policy brief - [reported] Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison visitation category for TIER III-STEP Program Offenders Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's facility page identifies a visitation category for "TIER III -STEP Program Offenders" with its own visitation days and hours: Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:00am-11:00am, 11:00am-1:00pm, 1:00pm-3:00pm. Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: GA Diagnostic Class Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [reported] Hays State Prison visitation category TIER I/II & STEP DOWN Hays State Prison's facility page header identifies a visitation category "TIER I/II & STEP DOWN" at the facility. Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: Hays State Prison facility page (confirms Aramark), GDC - [reported] North Carolina RDU capacity ~500 at Marion Correctional Facility since 2016 North Carolina's RDU program operates with approximately a 500-participant capacity at Marion Correctional Facility since 2016 and is intended to reduce prison violence among individuals who would otherwise be assigned to restrictive housing for control purposes, as well as provide a structured rehabilitative programming-oriented pathway to safe reintegration. Tags: solitary,reentry,violence,program Sources: Evaluation of a prison violence prevention program: impacts on violent and non-violent prison infractions - PMC - [reported] Smith State Prison is a Tier I & II facility with STEP DOWN program Smith State Prison's facility page identifies the facility as a Tier I & II facility with a STEP DOWN program. Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, "Smith State Prison," gdc.georgia.gov - [reported] Virginia Step-Down Program developed 2011 at Red Onion and Wallens Ridge Virginia's Restrictive Housing Reduction Step-Down Program was developed in 2011 at Red Onion State Prison (ROSP) and Wallens Ridge State Prison (WRSP), two of Virginia's maximum-security facilities. The Step-Down Program was designed to create a pathway for incarcerated participants classified as Security Level S, the most restrictive security level, a type of segregation, to gradually step down to lower security levels. Tags: solitary,policy,reentry,facilities Sources: December 2018 (vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com) - [reported] Macon State Prison is a Tier I & II facility Macon State Prison's facility page identifies the facility as a Tier I & II facility housing close security inmates. Tags: solitary,facilities Sources: Macon State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [reported] Close Security fact sheet lists Hays State Prison with Step Down Program GDC's Close Security Facilities fact sheet lists Hays State Prison with a "Step Down Program" bullet alongside its Tier I & II Facility designation. Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, "Close Security Facility Fact Sheet" - [reported] Tier Management Fact Sheet: STEP assignment from Administrative Segregation review GDC's Tier Management Fact Sheet states that an offender exiting Administrative Segregation review may be assigned to the Segregation Transition Education Program (STEP). Tags: solitary,policy,program Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: tier management fact sheet - [reported] Tier Segregation System implemented August 2013 GDC's Tier Management Fact Sheet states the Tier Segregation System was implemented in August 2013 to create a managed and measured stratification-oriented pathway for offenders to transition from Administrative Segregation to lower-security levels successfully. Tags: solitary,policy,program Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: tier management fact sheet - [reported] Tier III SMU Review Committee can recommend STEP assignment every 90 days GDC's Tier Management Fact Sheet lists assignment to the Segregation Transition Education Program (STEP) as one of the outcomes the Tier III Special Management Unit Review Committee can recommend to the Warden following its at-least-every-90-days review of an offender's status. Tags: solitary,policy,program Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: tier management fact sheet - [reported] New Washington County facility to include 384 special needs beds for Tier and Step-Down programs GDC's Board of Corrections minutes of April 4, 2024 state that a new facility being built in Washington County would include 384 special needs beds for Tier and Step-Down programs, within a facility with 1,528 single man beds expandable to 1,900, 896 general population beds, and 124 supportive living unit beds. Tags: solitary,facilities,budget,operations Sources: Georgia Board of Corrections, minutes, April 4, 2024 (Dublin, Ga.) - [reported] Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison Tier III program consists of five phases Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's PREA audit states the Tier III program at the facility's Special Management Unit consists of five phases (level five being the most restrictive) based on increased privileges for demonstrated appropriate offender behavior and program compliance. Tags: solitary,policy,program,facilities Sources: PREA Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison Audit Cycle 3 METHODOLOGY NOTES (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] GDC open-records production R031710-091426 delivered as one-page STEP bed table In response to GPS open-records request R031710-091426 (filed 2026-09-14 through GDC's open-records portal), GDC Legal Services uploaded a one-page table titled 'Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf' on 2026-10-02 and stated that 'No charges have been assessed.' The document is a GPS-generated open-records return rather than a published GDC report. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: policy,operations,facilities Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] GDC table counts beds, not people assigned GDC's STEP table counts total, occupied and vacant beds rather than people assigned to STEP programming, and lists STEP under a single heading without indicating which beds are Tier II STEP and which are Tier III STEP. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: policy,operations,facilities Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [reported] Oregon SUP launched early 2020, never fully implemented due to COVID-19 The Oregon SUP program launched in early 2020 and was soon followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, so the program was never fully implemented as intended. Date: 2020-01-01 Tags: solitary,program,reentry,operations Sources: Reforming solitary confinement: the development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing step down reentry program in Oregon - PMC STATISTICS (19) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Extended restrictive housing decreased 41 percent (671) since January 2017 GDC's FY2018 Annual Report states that since January 2017, the number of offenders in extended restrictive housing decreased by 41 percent (671), achieved partly through the Segregated Transition Education Program (S.T.E.P.), administrative reviews, changes in offender discipline process, and restructuring of policies and procedures. Value: 41.0 percent (vs. 671 offenders) Tags: solitary,policy,trend Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018 - [confirmed] GDCP Special Management Unit has 192 beds (FY2017) GDC's FY2017 annual fiscal report states that Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison has a Special Management Unit consisting of 192 beds. Value: 192.0 beds Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: facilities,solitary,operations Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2017 - [confirmed] Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison STEP beds: 20 total, 3 occupied, 17 vacant GDC's October 2026 table lists Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison ('GA DIAG CLASS PRISON') with 20 STEP beds, 3 occupied, 17 vacant, at 15.00% occupancy. Value: 20.0 STEP beds (vs. 3 occupied beds) Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison STEP occupancy rate: 15.00% GDC's table reports Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's STEP unit at 15.00% occupancy, with 17 of 20 STEP beds vacant. Value: 15.0 percent Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] Hays State Prison STEP beds: 59 total, 59 occupied, 0 vacant GDC's October 2026 table lists Hays State Prison with 59 STEP beds, 59 occupied, 0 vacant, at 100.00% occupancy. Value: 59.0 STEP beds (vs. 59 occupied beds) Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] Hays State Prison STEP occupancy rate: 100.00% GDC's table reports Hays State Prison's STEP unit at 100.00% occupancy, with all 59 STEP beds occupied and none vacant. Value: 100.0 percent Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] Macon State Prison STEP beds: 20 total, 20 occupied, 0 vacant GDC's October 2026 table lists Macon State Prison with 20 STEP beds, 20 occupied, 0 vacant, at 100.00% occupancy. Value: 20.0 STEP beds (vs. 20 occupied beds) Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [reported] Georgia restrictive housing population 2,147 (4.9%) per 2019 ASCA-Liman Table 1 The ASCA-Liman Time-in-Cell survey's Table 1 reports Georgia's custodial population for facilities reporting restrictive-housing data as 44,073, with a restrictive-housing population of 2,147, or 4.9%. Value: 2147.0 people (vs. 44073 total custodial population) Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: solitary,demographics,operations Sources: The Liman Center, time in cell 2019 - [confirmed] Macon State Prison STEP occupancy rate: 100.00% GDC's table reports Macon State Prison's STEP unit at 100.00% occupancy, with all 20 STEP beds occupied and none vacant. Value: 100.0 percent Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] Smith State Prison STEP beds: 20 total, 14 occupied, 6 vacant GDC's October 2026 table lists Smith State Prison with 20 STEP beds, 14 occupied, 6 vacant, at 70.00% occupancy. Value: 20.0 STEP beds (vs. 14 occupied beds) Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [reported] Georgia 4.9% restrictive housing vs. 5.0% weighted average across eleven jurisdictions Of eleven jurisdictions including Georgia, the reported percentage of population in restrictive housing per the 2019 ASCA-Liman survey responses included Georgia at 4.9%, with a weighted average of 5.0% (12,684/251,682) across all eleven jurisdictions. Other jurisdictions: Arizona 4.6%, Arkansas 11.0%, Kentucky 2.1%, Louisiana 4.8%, Maryland 5.8%, Mississippi 3.9%, Missouri 8.1%, North Carolina 4.7%, Rhode Island 2.5%, Virginia 1.7%. Value: 4.9 percent (vs. 5.0 weighted average across eleven jurisdictions) Tags: solitary,demographics,trend Sources: The Liman Center, time in cell 2021 - [confirmed] Smith State Prison STEP occupancy rate: 70.00% GDC's table reports Smith State Prison's STEP unit at 70.00% occupancy, with 6 of 20 STEP beds vacant. Value: 70.0 percent Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [estimated] STEP totals across four prisons: 119 beds, 96 occupied, 23 vacant GPS arithmetic on GDC's figures yields STEP totals across the four listed prisons (Georgia Diagnostic and Classification, Hays, Macon, and Smith) of 119 beds, 96 occupied, and 23 vacant. Value: 119.0 STEP beds (vs. 96 occupied beds) Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [reported] Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison has 17-bed STEP unit Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's facility page states its housing includes a 17 bed S.T.E.P. (Segregated Transition Education Unit). Value: 17.0 beds Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: GA Diagnostic Class Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [confirmed] North Carolina RDU: 27 vs. 6 custody promotions in first 30 days, aHR 17.4 In North Carolina's Rehabilitative Diversion Unit (RDU) study, during the first 30 days in the general prison population, individuals leaving the RDU were more likely to be promoted to medium custody than individuals leaving restrictive housing for control purposes (27 promotions post-RDU versus 6 post-RHCP), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 17.4 (95% CI: 7.2, 42.4). Value: 27.0 promotions (vs. 6 promotions post-RHCP) Tags: solitary,reentry,operations,policy Sources: Evaluation of a prison violence prevention program: impacts on violent and non-violent prison infractions - PMC - [reported] Hays State Prison: six Tier II dorms (218 beds), three Tier I dorms (160 beds) Hays State Prison has six Tier II dorms with 218 beds and three Tier I dorms with 160 beds, per GDC's facility page. Value: 218.0 beds (vs. 160 Tier I beds) Tags: solitary,facilities Sources: Hays State Prison facility page (confirms Aramark), GDC - [confirmed] Oregon SUP vs. IMU: 10.0% vs. 53.9% maintained MH-R classification In Oregon's randomized study of the Step Up Program (SUP) versus the Intensive Management Unit (IMU), a lower percentage of the SUP group maintained an MH-R mental health classification than the IMU group (10.0% compared to 53.9%, p < .001). Value: 10.0 percent (vs. 53.9 IMU group maintaining MH-R classification) Tags: solitary,mental_health,reentry,program Sources: Reforming solitary confinement: the development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing step down reentry program in Oregon - PMC - [reported] Virginia Step-Down Program mental health diagnosis share dropped 47% to 32% The proportion of people in Virginia's Step-Down Program with a mental health diagnosis dropped from 47 percent in February 2016 to 32 percent in July 2017. Value: 32.0 percent (vs. 47 percent in February 2016) Tags: solitary,mental_health,trend,reentry Sources: December 2018 (vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com) - [reported] More than 2,100 people in Georgia's tiers as of October 2025; almost 1,000 in long-term tiers As of October 2025, more than 2,100 people were housed in Georgia's "tiers," including almost 1,000 people in the long-term tiers, where stays can last for months or even years. Value: 2100.0 people (vs. 1000 people in long-term tiers) Tags: solitary,demographics,conditions Sources: Georgia Calls It the Tier Program, People In Prison Call It Hell DATA GAPS (11) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] GDC STEP bed table carries no as-of date The STEP bed and occupancy table produced by GDC under request R031710-091426 carries no as-of date; the PDF file itself was created on 2026-10-02 at 17:29 EDT. The absence of an as-of date means the counts cannot be tied to a specific reporting period. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: policy,operations,facilities Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [reported] Georgia submitted no 2021 ASCA-Liman survey response The 2021 ASCA-Liman survey's comparison table lists Georgia's total custodial population as 46,315 with "0 (No 2021 Survey Response)" for its restrictive-housing count. Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: solitary,data_gap,operations Sources: The Liman Center, time in cell 2021 - [confirmed] No Tier II / Tier III split of the 119 STEP beds GDC's table does not split the 119 STEP beds between Tier II STEP and Tier III STEP, leaving the tier composition of STEP capacity unknown. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: policy,operations,facilities Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] No participant, completion, failure or return-to-Tier counts in STEP production GDC's production reports beds and occupied beds only; it contains no count of STEP participants, completions, failures, or returns to Tier. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: policy,operations,reentry Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf) - [confirmed] Negative search: GDC document 535920 contains no cognitive or Thinking for a Change match A search of Georgia Department of Corrections document 535920 for "cognitive" and "Thinking for a Change" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,policy,program Sources: SOP 209.45: Tier II Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier II STEP) - [confirmed] Negative search: GDC document 535920 contains no maximum/shall not exceed match A search of Georgia Department of Corrections document 535920 for "maximum" and "shall not exceed" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,policy,solitary Sources: SOP 209.45: Tier II Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier II STEP) - [confirmed] Negative search: GDC document 536189 contains no cognitive or MRT match A search of Georgia Department of Corrections document 536189 for "cognitive" and "MRT" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,policy,program Sources: SOP 209.55: Special Management Unit - Tier III Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier III STEP) - [confirmed] Negative search: GDC document 536189 contains no fail/removal/remove match A search of Georgia Department of Corrections document 536189 for "fail", "removal" and "remove" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,policy,program Sources: SOP 209.55: Special Management Unit - Tier III Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier III STEP) - [confirmed] Negative search: Macon State Prison page contains no STEP or step-down match A search of the Macon State Prison GDC facility page for "STEP", "S.T.E.P", "Step Down" and "Segregated Transition" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,facilities,solitary Sources: Macon State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [confirmed] Negative search: Washington State Prison page contains no STEP or step-down match A search of the Washington State Prison GDC facility page for "Tier", "STEP", "Step Down" and "Segregated Transition" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,facilities,solitary Sources: Washington State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections - [confirmed] Negative search: BJA Program Narrative contains no segregation/restrictive housing/STEP match A search of the Program Narrative (bja.ojp.gov) for "segregation", "restrictive housing" and "STEP" returned no match. Tags: data_gap,solitary,policy Sources: Program Narrative (bja.ojp.gov) QUOTES (3) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Georgia reported Tier II step-down units for phase 3+ offenders at 270+ days The ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell reports that Georgia stated it had "Tier II step down units for offenders on phase 3+, who have been in restrictive housing for 270+ days." Date: 2018-01-01 Tags: solitary,policy,operations Sources: Judith Resnik et al., "Reforming Restrictive Housing: The 2018 ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell," October 2018 - [reported] Judge Treadwell: GDC's problem is a management problem, lacks will Judge Marc Treadwell, in terminating the ten-years-long SMU litigation, said GDC "doesn't have an inmate problem," "doesn't have a money problem," and that "the GDC's problem is a management problem. It doesn't have the will to fix the management problem." Tags: legal,solitary,conditions Sources: Federal Judge Terminates Decade-long SMU Case and Calls Out GDC’s “Management Problem” and “Lack of Will” – Southern Center for Human Rights – Equality. Dignity. Justice. - [reported] Georgia Tier I Segregation placement authority: warden threat determination The ASCA-Liman report quotes Georgia's policy: "The Warden or Superintendent and their designee may place an offender in the Tier I Segregation Program in the following circumstances: A. The offender is noted as a threat to the safe and secure operation of the facility." Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: policy,solitary,legal Sources: The Liman Center, time in cell 2021 FINDINGS (6) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Macon State Prison listed with STEP beds despite no STEP wording on its GDC facility page GDC's October 2026 table gives Macon State Prison 20 STEP beds, all occupied, although Macon's GDC facility web page contains no STEP or step-down wording. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf); GDC facility web pages - [reported] Telfair State Prison facility page claims Tier I & II STEP status but table lists Tier II only with no STEP beds Telfair State Prison's GDC facility page states 'This is a Tier I & II STEP facility,' but GDC's October 2026 table lists Telfair for Tier II only (117 beds, all occupied) and gives it no STEP beds. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf); GDC facility web pages - [reported] Georgia Diagnostic facility page lists 17-bed S.T.E.P unit while table gives 20 STEP beds Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison's GDC facility page lists a '17 bed S.T.E.P' unit, while GDC's October 2026 table gives the prison 20 STEP beds with 3 occupied. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf); GDC facility web pages - [reported] Hays and Smith STEP listings consistent with step-down wording on facility pages Hays State Prison and Smith State Prison both appear in GDC's October 2026 table as STEP locations, consistent with the step-down wording on their respective GDC facility pages. Date: 2026-10-02 Tags: facilities,operations,policy Sources: GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf); GDC facility web pages - [reported] Tier II maximum two years but gang-validated inmates allegedly restarted program after transfers The standard operating procedure for Georgia's Tier II Program states that inmates can only be held on the program for a maximum of two years, but inmates validated as a certain gang affiliation were being transferred from prison to prison and forced to begin the Tier II program over again. Tags: solitary,gangs,transfers,policy Sources: Georgia DOC’s Tier II Program, extreme solitary confinement, is dehumanizing torture - [reported] Close Security fact sheet lists Macon and Smith as Tier I & II without Step Down Program GDC's Close Security Facilities fact sheet lists Macon State Prison and Smith State Prison as Tier I & II facilities without listing a Step Down Program bullet for either. Tags: solitary,facilities,program Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, "Close Security Facility Fact Sheet" TRENDS (1) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] VADOC restrictive housing reduced from 5% (2016) to 4.1% (2017) to 3% (2018) VADOC significantly reduced the population in restrictive housing settings from 5 percent of its total population in 2016 to 4.1 percent in 2017, and then to 3 percent in 2018. At the end of January 2016, 1,513 incarcerated people were in any restrictive housing status, representing 5 percent of the total population of VADOC facilities. Tags: solitary,trend,demographics,policy Sources: December 2018 (vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com) CASE DETAILS (2) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] October 2016 Board minutes record Tier Recidivism Update GDC's Board of Corrections minutes record a Tier Recidivism Update presented at the October 6, 2016 meeting covering Tier facility locations and the Tier bed breakdown. Tags: solitary,operations,facilities Sources: Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes october 2016 - [reported] Otis Stanton presented Tier Segregation Management System description to Board At a Georgia Board of Corrections meeting, Statewide Tier Segregation Manager Otis Stanton presented a Tier Recidivism Update describing the Tier Segregation Management System as a facility-wide stratification plan that manages the institutional conduct and programmatic needs of the assigned population. Tags: solitary,operations Sources: Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes october 2016 DATASETS (5) ---------------------------------------- # Tier III Program phase durations Minimum days required in each wing/phase of the Tier III Program, totaling a minimum 13-month (390-day) program. Wing Minimum Days ---------------------- E Wing 60 F Wing 60 D Wing 90 C Wing 90 B Wing 90 # ASCA-Liman 2019 restrictive housing population by jurisdiction (eleven-jurisdiction comparison) Reported percentage of custodial population in restrictive housing for eleven jurisdictions per 2019 ASCA-Liman survey responses, with weighted average of 5.0% (12,684/251,682). Jurisdiction Percent in restrictive housing ------------------------------------------------ Arizona 4.6 Arkansas 11 Georgia 4.9 Kentucky 2.1 Louisiana 4.8 Maryland 5.8 Mississippi 3.9 Missouri 8.1 North Carolina 4.7 Rhode Island 2.5 Virginia 1.7 # STEP beds and occupancy by prison, GDC open-records production R031710-091426 Facility-level STEP bed counts, occupied beds, vacant beds, and occupancy rate for the four prisons GDC lists as STEP locations, as produced by GDC on 2026-10-02. The table carries no as-of date and does not distinguish Tier II from Tier III STEP beds. Totals row is GPS arithmetic on GDC's figures. Facility STEP beds Occupied Vacant Occupancy rate ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison 20 3 17 15 Hays State Prison 59 59 0 100 Macon State Prison 20 20 0 100 Smith State Prison 20 14 6 70 Total (GPS arithmetic) 119 96 23 # Hays State Prison Tier dorm and bed counts Tier I and Tier II dorm counts and bed capacities at Hays State Prison. Tier Level Dorms Beds ------------------------- Tier II 6 218 Tier I 3 160 # VADOC restrictive housing population trend 2016-2018 Virginia Department of Corrections restrictive housing population as percentage of total population, 2016-2018. Year Percent in restrictive housing -------------------------------------- 2016 5 2017 4.1 2018 3 KEY ENTITIES (33) ---------------------------------------- - Board of Corrections [organization]: Governing board overseeing the Georgia Department of Corrections, chaired by Larry Haynie. - Bureau of Justice Assistance [organization]: Federal agency within DOJ that assumed responsibility for DCRA data collection from BJS around 2019, after which data quality and transparency deteriorated significantly. (aka: BJA) - Colorado Department of Corrections [organization]: Colorado state corrections agency found to have approximately 33% false-positive rate for its colorimetric testing program (aka: Colorado DOC) - DOJ [organization]: Federal agency that investigated Georgia prisons and found 8th Amendment violations in October 2024. (aka: Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice) - Georgia Department of Corrections [organization]: State agency responsible for operating Georgia's prison system. Subject of federal DOJ investigation in 2022-2023 for constitutional violations including food-related deaths. (aka: GDC) - Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison from which David 'Toro' Zavala operated drug trafficking while serving time for armed robbery. - Georgia House Bill 714 [legislation]: Georgia bill (did not pass) that would have prohibited consecutive restrictive housing periods and capped total restrictive housing at 90 days per year absent danger to self, others, or facility security. (aka: HB 714) - Georgia Prisoners' Speak [organization]: Advocacy organization documenting conditions inside Georgia prisons through photos and insider accounts, including food inadequacy. (aka: GPS) - Hays State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison visited by DOJ during 2022-2023 investigation (aka: Hays) - Macon State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison visited by DOJ during 2022-2023 investigation (aka: Macon) - Marc Treadwell [person]: Federal judge who issued April 2024 contempt order finding GDC officials repeatedly falsified documents and made false statements. (aka: Judge Marc Treadwell, Federal Judge Treadwell) - Marion Correctional Facility [facility]: North Carolina facility hosting the Rehabilitative Diversion Unit since 2016. - North Carolina Rehabilitative Diversion Unit [program]: North Carolina program at Marion Correctional Facility (~500 participant capacity since 2016) intended to reduce prison violence among individuals who would otherwise be assigned to restrictive housing for control purposes. (aka: RDU) - Oregon Intensive Management Unit [facility]: Oregon restrictive housing unit used as comparison condition in the randomized Step Up Program study. (aka: IMU) - Oregon Step Up Program [program]: Oregon restrictive housing step-down reentry program launched in early 2020, never fully implemented as intended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (aka: SUP) - Otis Stanton [person]: Statewide Tier Segregation Manager who presented a Tier Recidivism Update to the Board of Corrections in October 2016. - Red Onion State Prison [facility]: Virginia maximum-security facility where the Restrictive Housing Reduction Step-Down Program was developed in 2011. (aka: ROSP) - Segregated Transition Education Program (STEP) [program]: Step-down, incentive-based program for offenders exiting Tier segregation, referenced in GDC annual reports, SOPs, and facility pages. (aka: S.T.E.P., STEP, Tier II STEP, Tier III STEP Program, Segregation Transition Education Program) - Smith State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison targeted by drone smuggling networks; subject of Operation Night Drop indictments. - Southern Center for Human Rights [organization]: Legal advocacy organization that investigated food conditions at Gordon County Jail and sent a formal letter to Sheriff Mitch Ralston in October 2014. (aka: SCHR) - Special Management Unit [facility]: Georgia's primary long-term solitary confinement unit, located at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. Subject of Gumm v. Jacobs litigation and described by experts as 'one of the harshest and most draconian' in the nation. (aka: SMU) - Specialized Mental Health Treatment Unit [program]: Unit within GDCP's Special Management Unit housing mental health level 3 and 4 inmates, with four phases (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Ultimate) and Psycho-Educational and Activity Therapy groups. (aka: SMHTU) - STEP (Serious and Violent Offender Reentry / Tier II and Tier III step-down program) [program]: GDC step-down program with Tier II and Tier III components; GDC's October 2026 table lists 119 STEP beds across four prisons without splitting them by tier. (aka: S.T.E.P, Tier II STEP, Tier III STEP) - Telfair State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison involved in Operation Ghost Busted (Desiree Briley) and Operation Night Drop drone smuggling network. - Tier II Program [program]: A GDC offender management and stratification program governed by SOP 209.08, which GDC characterizes as 'not a punishment measure' but which the discipline SOP (209.01) designates as the placement for disciplinary isolation exceeding 30 days. - Tier III Program [program]: A GDC tier segregation program governed by SOP 209.09, including quarterly over-24-month panel reviews and an Electronic Logbook recording out-of-cell and recreation times. (aka: Special Management Unit: Tier III Program) - Tier III Program Classification Committee [organization]: Committee that considers Tier III offenders within 12 or 6 months of maximum release date for Tier III STEP placement. - Tier III Special Management Unit Review Committee [organization]: Committee that reviews offender status at least every 90 days and can recommend STEP assignment. (aka: SMU Review Committee) - Tier Segregation System [program]: GDC's segregation programme with three tiers: Tier I (short-term segregation, five-hours-per-week out-of-cell floor, system-wide), Tier II (long-term segregation, designated at seven men's prisons), and Tier III (Special Management Unit, at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison). (aka: Tier Programme, Tier I, Tier II, Tier III) - Vera Institute of Justice [organization]: Research organization focused on criminal justice; published Health Care Behind Bars report (2025) (aka: Vera Institute, Vera) - Virginia Department of Corrections [organization]: Virginia state agency responsible for the state prison system, subject to oversight by the Virginia Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman. (aka: VADOC) - Virginia Restrictive Housing Reduction Step-Down Program [program]: Virginia program developed in 2011 at Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison to create a pathway for Security Level S participants to gradually step down to lower security levels. (aka: Step-Down Program) - Wallens Ridge State Prison [facility]: Virginia maximum-security facility where the Restrictive Housing Reduction Step-Down Program was developed in 2011. (aka: WRSP) SOURCES (35) ---------------------------------------- - Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes may 2019, Georgia Board of Corrections (2019-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-may-2019/download - Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes october 2016, Georgia Department of Corrections Board of Corrections (2016-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-october-2016/download - December 2018 (vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com), Vera Institute of Justice (2018-01-01) [academic, secondary] URL: https://vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/publications/segregation-findings-recommendations-virginia-dept-corrections.pdf - DOJ Findings Report: Investigation of Georgia Prisons (October 2024), U.S. Department of Justice (2024-10-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-09/findings_report_-_investigation_of_georgia_prisons.pdf - Evaluation of a prison violence prevention program: impacts on violent and non-violent prison infractions - PMC, PubMed Central (2023-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10367332/ - Federal Judge Terminates Decade-long SMU Case and Calls Out GDC’s “Management Problem” and “Lack of Will” – Southern Center for Human Rights – Equality. Dignity. Justice., Southern Center for Human Rights [press_release, secondary] URL: https://www.schr.org/federal-judge-terminates-decade-long-smu-case-and-calls-out-gdcs-management-problem-and-lack-of-will/ - Five States Selected to Join National Initiative to Reduce the Use of Solitary Confinement | Vera Institute, Vera Institute of Justice [press_release, secondary] URL: https://www.vera.org/newsroom/five-states-selected-to-join-national-initiative-to-reduce-the-use-of-solitary-confinement - GA Diagnostic Class Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections [data_portal, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/ga-diagnostic-class-prison - GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2017, Georgia Department of Corrections (2017-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2017/download - GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018, Georgia Department of Corrections (2018-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2018/download - GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2019, Georgia Department of Corrections (2019-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2019/download - GDC facility web pages, Georgia Department of Corrections [data_portal, primary] - GDC open-records production R031710-091426 (Total_Beds_with_Locations_Tier_II_and_III.pdf), Georgia Department of Corrections, Legal Services (2026-10-02) [official_report, primary] - gdc.georgia.gov: tier management fact sheet, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/fact-sheets/tier-management-fact-sheet/download - Georgia Board of Corrections, minutes, April 4, 2024 (Dublin, Ga.), Georgia Board of Corrections by Georgia Board of Corrections (2024-04-04) [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-april-2024/download - Georgia Calls It the Tier Program, People In Prison Call It Hell, Southern Center for Human Rights (Substack) (2025-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://thesoutherncenter.substack.com/p/georgia-calls-it-the-tier-program - Georgia Department of Corrections, "Close Security Facility Fact Sheet", Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/fact-sheets/close-security-facility-fact-sheet/download - Georgia Department of Corrections, "Smith State Prison," gdc.georgia.gov, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/smith-state-prison - Georgia Department of Corrections, "Special Management Unit," gdc.georgia.gov, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/special-management-unit - Georgia DOC’s Tier II Program, extreme solitary confinement, is dehumanizing torture, San Francisco Bay View (2015-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://sfbayview.com/2015/11/georgia-docs-tier-ii-program-extreme-solitary-confinement-is-dehumanizing-torture/ - Hays State Prison facility page (confirms Aramark), GDC, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/hays-state-prison - Judith Resnik et al., "Reforming Restrictive Housing: The 2018 ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell," October 2018, Yale Law School / Association of State Correctional Administrators by Judith Resnik et al. (2018-10-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/Liman/asca_liman_2018_restrictive_housing_revised_sept_25_2018_-_embargoed_unt.pdf - Macon State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections [data_portal, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/macon-state-prison - PREA Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison Audit Cycle 3, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/prea-audit-location-report/prea-gdcp-audit-cycle-3/download - Program Narrative (bja.ojp.gov), Bureau of Justice Assistance [official_report, primary] URL: https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/14smartsup-gdcapp.pdf - Reforming solitary confinement: the development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing step down reentry program in Oregon - PMC, PubMed Central (2021-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8390052/ - SOP 209.09: Special Management Unit - Tier III Program (effective 6/18/2026), Georgia Department of Corrections (2026-06-18) [official_report, primary] URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/105973 - SOP 209.45: Tier II Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier II STEP), Georgia Department of Corrections (2019-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/535920 - SOP 209.55: Special Management Unit - Tier III Segregated Transition Education Program (Tier III STEP), Georgia Department of Corrections (2019-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/536189 - State settles case over solitary confinement prison conditions, Atlanta Journal-Constitution [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.ajc.com/news/local/state-agrees-improve-prison-conditions-solitary-confinement-unit/sczr93Pqum6sbPGBhpXXiN/ - Telfair State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections [data_portal, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/telfair-state-prison - The Liman Center, time in cell 2019, Yale Law School, Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law (2019-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/liman/document/time-in-cell_2019.pdf - The Liman Center, time in cell 2021, Yale Law School, Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law (2021-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/liman/document/time_in_cell_2021.pdf - vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com: step down programs and transitional units strategy to end long term restrictive housing policy brief, Vera Institute of Justice [academic, secondary] URL: https://vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/publications/step-down-programs-and-transitional-units-strategy-to-end-long-term-restrictive-housing-policy-brief.pdf?dm=1568655491 - Washington State Prison | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections [data_portal, primary] URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/locations/washington-state-prison