GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Probation and Community Supervision in Georgia: A Comprehensive Research Collection ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-05-15 11:07:51 EDT Research Date: 2026-05-03 Topic: Probation and Community Supervision JSON: https://gps.press/research-data/probation-and-community-supervision-in-georgia-a-comprehensive-research-collection/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- Georgia operates the largest probation system in the United States both in absolute numbers and per capita, with rates more than triple the national average despite a decade of reform efforts. The system is split between state-supervised felony probation (~200,000 people under DCS) and privately-operated misdemeanor probation (~200,000 more), with the for-profit private probation industry generating at least $40 million annually from fees charged directly to probationers. Probation revocations accounted for 55% of all Georgia prison admissions as of 2015, and lengthy sentences averaging 6.3 years for felonies (nearly double the national average) remain the structural driver of Georgia's outlier status. Racial disparities are stark, with Black probationers comprising approximately 61-67% of prison revocations against a 33% share of the state population, and the system disproportionately burdens low-income communities through fees, drug testing costs, and electronic monitoring charges. STATISTICS (37) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Georgia leads nation in probation rate A national report covering 2020, released in December 2021, found Georgia 'still — by far — leads the nation with its probation rate. The state's probation population per 100,000 adults is more than triple the national average and nearly double the number of the second-ranked state.' Date: 2020-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics,policy Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [reported] Georgia felony probation population (2021) Georgia had 190,475 people on felony probation and 19,771 people on parole as of the date of AJC reporting in January 2022 (data as of 2021). Value: 190475.0 people on felony probation (vs. 19771 people on parole) Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: probation,parole,demographics Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] Georgia probation supervision rate per 100,000 (2015) Georgia's probation supervision rate was 5,570 per 100,000 people on felony or misdemeanor probation as of 2015, nearly four times the national average. Value: 5570.0 per 100,000 people Date: 2015-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Probation and Monetary Sanctions in Georgia: Evidence from a Multi-Methods Study - [confirmed] DCS supervises approximately 180,000-200,000+ felony individuals The Georgia Department of Community Supervision describes itself as responsible for the supervision of 'approximately 180,000 individuals serving adult felony offenses' (2015 baseline) and, in subsequent updates, 'more than 200,000 felony Individuals.' Value: 200000.0 felony individuals (vs. 180000 2015 baseline) Tags: probation,staffing,demographics Sources: Felony Supervision, Georgia Department of Community Supervision - [reported] Total Georgia probation population approaching 420,000 Reform Georgia reported a felony probation population of 202,421, which combined with prison and parole counts produced a total correctional control population over 266,000 — and a total probation population (felony + misdemeanor) of 'nearly 420,000.' Value: 420000.0 people on probation (felony + misdemeanor) Date: 2018-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Probation Reform, Reform Georgia - [reported] 1 in 25 Georgia adults under community supervision Reform Georgia summarized the resulting ratio as '1 in 25 adults' under community supervision in Georgia, compared to a national rate of 1 in 55. Date: 2018-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Probation Reform, Reform Georgia - [confirmed] DCS supervised over 265,816 people in 2019 In 2019, DCS supervised over 265,816 people. Value: 265816.0 people supervised Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Georgia Criminal Legal System Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2021 - [confirmed] Georgia probation rate 3,943 per 100,000 (2019) For every 100,000 Georgians, 3,943 of those are on probation. This is double the rate in Texas and four times the rate in North Carolina, making Georgia the No. 1 state in the nation for the number of individuals under community supervision. Value: 3943.0 per 100,000 Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Georgia Criminal Legal System Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2021 - [confirmed] 648 Georgia courts assigned 250,000+ cases to private probation (2012) In 2012, 648 Georgia courts assigned more than 250,000 cases to private (misdemeanor) probation companies, making misdemeanor probation through private firms an enormous parallel system to state-run felony supervision. Value: 250000.0 cases assigned to private probation (vs. 648 courts) Date: 2012-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,policy Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [estimated] 80% of misdemeanor probationers supervised by private for-profit companies Some 80 percent of all misdemeanor probationers in Georgia were estimated by HRW to be supervised by private, for-profit companies as of 2014. Value: 80.0 percent Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,policy Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Average felony probation sentences 6.3 years, near double US average Average felony probation sentences in Georgia are 6.3 years, near double the US average. Over 37% of individuals have a probation sentence longer than 10 years. Value: 6.3 years (vs. 37 percent with sentences over 10 years) Date: 2016-01-01 Tags: probation,policy,legal Sources: Georgia Justice Reinvestment Initiative - [reported] Average post-prison probation sentence is 13 years DCS reported to the AJC that 'after prison, the average Georgian is sentenced to 13 years on probation. In cases where the sentence was probation only, the average length is about 7 years.' Value: 13.0 years (vs. 7 probation-only average) Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [reported] DCS has approximately 2,000 employees DCS has approximately 2,000 employees (Commissioner Michael Nail told the Georgia Senate Public Safety Committee in November 2021). Value: 2000.0 employees Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: staffing,probation Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] DCS 2021 budget was $166 million, nearly doubled since 2012 The 2021 budget allocated $166 million to DCS, with Field Services accounting for almost 92 percent ($152 million) of the DCS budget. The state's probation budget had nearly doubled since 2012. Value: 166.0 million dollars (vs. 152 Field Services portion) Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: budget,probation Sources: Georgia Criminal Legal System Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2021 - [confirmed] DCS unsupervised cases increased 68%, caseloads dropped 33% DCS increased the number of cases on unsupervised status by 68 percent between April 2016 and June 2020. Average caseload size dropped 33 percent — from 138 to 93. DCS approved approximately 34 percent of requests to move probationers to unsupervised status. Value: 68.0 percent increase in unsupervised cases (vs. 33 percent decrease in caseload size) Tags: probation,staffing,policy Sources: Georgia: Monitoring Data Trends after 2017 Justice Reinvestment Initiative Reforms - [reported] Average DCS caseload returned to 132 by 2021 As of summer 2021, the average caseload per DCS officer was 132, which is roughly the same as it was five years ago, when the average was 139. For the 329 officers handling specialized supervision of the highest-risk people, the caseload was capped at 40. Value: 132.0 cases per officer (vs. 139 five years prior) Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: staffing,probation Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] Parole supervision cost $3.13 per day vs $80.31 incarceration The cost of parole supervision per day in FY 2025 was $3.13 per parolee, compared to $80.31 per inmate per day to incarcerate someone with the Department of Corrections. Value: 3.13 dollars per parolee per day (vs. 80.31 dollars per inmate per day (GDC)) Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: budget,parole Sources: Parole Population in Georgia - [confirmed] 73% of Georgia parolees successfully completed supervision in FY 2025 73 percent of Georgia's parole population successfully completed parole supervision in FY 2025, compared to a national average of approximately 60 percent. Value: 73.0 percent (vs. 60 national average) Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: parole,reentry Sources: Parole Population in Georgia - [confirmed] Georgia parolee population decreased from 15,105 to 14,568 in FY 2025 During FY 2025, the parolee population decreased from 15,105 (July 1, 2024) to 14,568 (June 30, 2025). Value: 14568.0 parolees (vs. 15105 start of FY 2025) Tags: parole,demographics Sources: Parole Population in Georgia - [estimated] Private probation companies generate at least $40 million annually in Georgia Human Rights Watch estimated that 'in Georgia alone, probation companies take in at least $40 million in revenues from fees they charge to probationers.' Companies treated their actual revenues as a trade secret and contracting courts generally did not track total fee collections. Value: 40.0 million dollars annually Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,budget Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] CSRA holds contracts in one-third of Georgia's 159 counties (170+ courts) CSRA Probation Services self-reports '150 staff members across 33 offices throughout the state... contracts in approximately one-third of Georgia's 159 counties, which includes over 170 courts statewide.' Value: 170.0 courts Tags: probation,corruption,operations Sources: Leadership and In the News, CSRA Probation Services - [confirmed] Probation revocations were 55% of all Georgia prison admissions (2015) Probation revocations made up 55 percent of all prison admissions in Georgia in 2015 — by far the largest single source of GDC admissions. Value: 55.0 percent of prison admissions Date: 2015-01-01 Tags: probation,policy,demographics Sources: Community Supervision a Leading Driver of Incarceration - [confirmed] 267,514 individuals supervised by DCS in 2019 267,514 individuals were supervised by DCS in 2019. Value: 267514.0 individuals supervised Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] 26,409 probation revocations (9.87% of supervised) in 2019 26,409 individuals (9.87 percent of supervised population) had a probation revocation in 2019. Of those revoked, 7,506 (28.42 percent) were sent to state prison — 2.81 percent of the total supervised population. Value: 26409.0 revocations (vs. 9.87 percent of supervised population) Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] 7,506 probationers revoked to state prison in 2019 7,506 individuals were revoked to state prison in 2019, accounting for 7,617 revocations (111 had multiple revocations). Value: 7506.0 individuals revoked to prison Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] 68.5% of prison revocations for new offenses, 15.4% for technical violations Of revocations to state prison in 2019: 5,219 (68.5 percent) were for new offenses; 1,225 (16.1 percent) were for special condition violations; 1,173 (15.4 percent) were for technical violations. Value: 68.5 percent for new offenses (vs. 15.4 percent for technical violations) Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] Only 0.44% of supervised population revoked to prison for technical violations Only 0.44 percent of the supervised population was revoked to prison for technical violations in 2019. Value: 0.44 percent of supervised population Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] Nationally, supervision violations were 44% of state prison admissions (2021) Nationally, supervision violations remained 44 percent of all state prison admissions in 2021, and 1 in 4 people in state prison on any given day in 2021 had been incarcerated for a supervision violation. Value: 44.0 percent of prison admissions nationally Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration - [confirmed] Nearly 200,000 people admitted to prison for supervision violations in 2023 In 2023, nearly 200,000 people were admitted to prison for violating probation or parole, including over 110,000 people for technical violations. States spent an estimated $10 billion incarcerating people for supervision violations in 2023, with over $3 billion spent on technical violations alone. Value: 200000.0 people admitted nationally for supervision violations (vs. 10 billion dollars spent) Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: probation,budget,policy Sources: Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration - [confirmed] 34 jurisdictions nationally require supervision fees ranging $170-$917 annually Across the United States, 34 jurisdictions require supervision fees with the cost of probation supervision for twelve months ranging from $170 to $917. Georgia is among the most aggressive fee jurisdictions. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: probation,budget Sources: One Size Fits None: How Standard Conditions of Probation Set People Up to Fail - [confirmed] Black people incarcerated at 5.2 times higher rate than White people nationally On any given day, Black people are incarcerated at a 5.2 times higher rate than White people overall. Black parole supervision rate is 4.5 times higher than White people. Black prison readmission from parole is 3.2 times higher than for White people. Value: 5.2 times higher rate Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: demographics,probation,parole Sources: Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration 2024 report - [reported] Black probationers comprise 61-67% of prison revocations in Georgia The DCS 2019 Revocation Fact Sheet indicates Black supervisees comprised approximately 61–67 percent of new-offense revocations (the largest category), with technical and special-condition revocations also predominantly Black, against an underlying state population that is 33 percent Black and a state prison population that is 58 percent Black. Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: demographics,probation Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] 90.13% of supervised felony probationers had no revocation in 2019 90.13 percent of supervised felony probationers had no probation revocation in 2019. Value: 90.13 percent with no revocation Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 - [confirmed] BID usage only 15.6% of eligible cases over first three fiscal years Behavioral Incentive Date (BID) usage statewide was 10.3 percent of eligible probation cases in FY 2018, rising to 21.6 percent in FY 2020 — but with wide variation by judicial circuit and an overall average around 15.6 percent of eligible cases over three fiscal years. Value: 15.6 percent of eligible cases average Tags: probation,policy Sources: Georgia: Monitoring Data Trends after 2017 Justice Reinvestment Initiative Reforms - [reported] CSRA self-reports 85% probation success rate CSRA Probation Services self-reports an 85 percent 'success rate' for probationers completing their terms. Value: 85.0 percent success rate Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: probation,operations Sources: Insights into the Private Probation Industry, CSRA Probation Services - [estimated] JCS probably collects over $1 million annually from DeKalb County alone HRW estimated JCS 'probably collects over $1 million in annual revenues from probationers in that one court alone' in DeKalb County. Value: 1.0 million dollars annually (DeKalb County) Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,budget Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Arizona probation reforms: $392 million averted costs, 29% decline in revocations Per Pew's analysis, between FY 2008 and FY 2016 Arizona's probation population reforms produced '$392 million in averted costs, a 29 percent decline in probation revocations' — a benchmark Georgia could approach if it implemented similar provisions more aggressively. Value: 392.0 million dollars averted (vs. 29 percent decline in revocations) Tags: budget,probation,policy Sources: Five Evidence-Based Policies Can Improve Community Supervision TRENDS (4) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Georgia probation population decreased 24% since 2011 Since 2011, the number of people on probation in Georgia has decreased by 24 percent, reflecting the cumulative impact of reform efforts, but from such a high baseline that Georgia retains its national-leader status. Tags: probation,policy Sources: Georgia Criminal Justice Data Snapshot - [confirmed] Georgia probation term length declined 49% but entries grew 159% Georgia's average probation term length declined 49 percent between 2000 and 2018 (one of the largest decreases nationally) — but its probation population grew 35 percent and probation entries grew 159 percent, indicating that even with shorter terms, more people are being added. Tags: probation,policy,demographics Sources: States Can Shorten Probation and Protect Public Safety - [confirmed] Georgia saw 44% decrease in supervision violation admissions (2018-2023) From 2018 to 2023, Georgia saw a 44% decrease in admissions for supervision violations, largely due to key policy reforms around the state's supervision practices. Tags: probation,policy Sources: Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration - [confirmed] National recidivism rates declining: 77% (2005 cohort) to 70% (2012 cohort) Nationally, the recidivism rate has been decreasing. In 2005, 77 percent of people released from state prison were arrested within 5 years of release. Of people released in 2012, 70 percent were arrested within 5 years. Tags: reentry,demographics Sources: Georgia Criminal Justice Data Snapshot METHODOLOGY NOTES (2) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] BJS reporting structure for Georgia probation is bifurcated Georgia's probation reporting structure is split between two reporters: one providing individual-level data from state probation officers (45 percent of Georgia's total probation population) and another providing aggregate data from independent local probation agencies (55 percent of the total). One agency in Georgia was unable to report entries in 2022. Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Probation and Parole in the United States, 2022 - [confirmed] DCS revocation framing counts only prison revocations, not jail DCS counts only revocations to state prison in its 2019 fact sheet. A revocation that produces a county jail term (the much more common outcome and the one driving the offender-funded misdemeanor system's abuses) is not captured in the same way. The DCS and Pew framings measure different things. Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 FINDINGS (13) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Probation system almost equally divided between felony and misdemeanor Reform Georgia describes the probation system as 'almost equally divided between misdemeanor and felony probation cases.' Date: 2018-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Probation Reform, Reform Georgia - [reported] Nearly all DeKalb County probationers jailed for failure to pay are Black The ACLU complaint in Thompson v. DeKalb County alleged: 'While blacks make up 54 percent of the DeKalb County population, nearly all probationers jailed by the DeKalb County Recorders Court for failure to pay are black – a pattern replicated by other Georgia courts.' Date: 2015-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics,legal Sources: Thompson v. DeKalb County Complaint - [reported] Augusta has second-highest rate of misdemeanor probation, lowest case-closing rate Augusta has the second-highest average rate of people on misdemeanor probation among Georgia counties, while having the lowest average rates of closing misdemeanor probation cases. More than 80% of Augusta's misdemeanor cases have been non-serious traffic offenses. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: probation,demographics,facilities Sources: The Public Harm Under a For-Profit Probation System: Spotlight on Augusta - [confirmed] Steve Queen conflict of interest as Board of Community Supervision Chair Steve Queen — formerly of CSRA Probation Services and a 25-year veteran of probation administration — was elected Chair of the Board of Community Supervision, raising notable conflict-of-interest questions given his prior role at the largest private probation company in the state. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: corruption,policy,probation Sources: Leadership and In the News, CSRA Probation Services - [confirmed] Monthly probation supervision fees $35-$40 plus additional testing fees Private probation companies charge monthly supervision fees of $35–$40 per month. Drug testing fees are commonly approximately $25 per test; weekly testing on a 12-month sentence yields approximately $1,300 per year. Additional fees include electronic monitoring, start-up fees, counseling, and classes. Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,budget Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Pay-only probation converts probation into debt collection Pay-only probation places someone on supervision solely because they cannot afford to pay their court fine on the day of sentencing. They are then charged supervision fees in addition to the original fine, resulting in significantly different financial outcomes for indigent defendants compared to those who can pay up front. Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,policy Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Systematic failure to apply Bearden ability-to-pay inquiry in Georgia courts Despite Bearden having been decided more than four decades ago against the State of Georgia, documentation in the Thompson v. DeKalb County complaint, the Sentinel v. Glover litigation, and Human Rights Watch reports indicates ongoing systemic failure to apply Bearden's ability-to-pay inquiry in Georgia courts. Tags: legal,probation,corruption Sources: How Georgia's Probation System Squeezes the Poor and Feeds Mass Incarceration - [reported] Augusta for-profit probation disproportionately burdens Black and Latinx residents GBPI's 2024 report describes Augusta's for-profit probation system as one that 'imposes high fees, extends supervision lengths, and worsens economic insecurity disproportionately among low-income Black and Latinx residents.' Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: demographics,probation,corruption Sources: The Public Harm Under a For-Profit Probation System: Spotlight on Augusta - [confirmed] 50,000 people in Georgia supervised over 2 years despite recidivism risk halving An estimated 50,000 people in Georgia had been on supervision for more than 2 years, despite the risk of recidivism dropping by half after an individual's first year on supervision. This finding underpinned the early-termination provisions of the 2017 reforms. Date: 2016-01-01 Tags: probation,policy,reentry Sources: Georgia Justice Reinvestment Initiative - [confirmed] Georgia does not cap felony probation terms Many states cap probation terms; Georgia does not. Georgia's fixed-term sentencing model — judges specify a fixed term such as '15 years' incarceration' then suspend/probate any portion — frequently produces probation sentences far longer than peer states permit. Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: policy,probation,legal Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] Urban Institute: Probation supervision is important fork in the road for disparities The Urban Institute notes: 'probation supervision represents an important fork in the road for justice-involved individuals, with failure on probation setting a path for more severe sanctioning, particularly incarceration. Disparities in probation revocations could then contribute to disparities in incarceration.' Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: demographics,probation Sources: Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Probation Revocation - [confirmed] DCS newly available data allowed tracking of racial disparities The Council on Criminal Justice's Pushing Toward Parity project acknowledges that 'the availability of data on probation and parole populations significantly improved in the last quarter of the study period [2010–2020]. The newly available data allowed the Georgia Department of Community Supervision to begin tracking supervision outcomes to identify challenges and opportunities for improvement, including inequities in managing people on supervision that resulted in racial disparities.' Tags: demographics,probation,policy Sources: Pushing Toward Parity: Georgia - [confirmed] Georgia private probation industry originated from 1991-1992 legislation Georgia became one of the largest markets in the United States for private probation companies after legislation in 1991–1992 cleared the path for outsourcing of misdemeanor probation services. By 1996 the number of private probation contracts had dramatically increased. By 2012 Georgia was one of only approximately 10–12 states with private probation policies. Tags: probation,policy,corruption Sources: Profiting from the Poor: A Report on Predatory Probation Companies in Georgia LEGAL FACTS (9) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] DCS created by HB 310 effective July 1, 2015 The Georgia Department of Community Supervision was created by HB 310 (signed by Governor Nathan Deal on May 7, 2015) and began operations July 1, 2015. The agency consolidated supervision of felony parolees, felony probationers, select juvenile offenders, and oversight of misdemeanor probation entities. Date: 2015-07-01 Tags: policy,legislation Sources: Georgia HB310 | 2015-2016 Regular Session - [confirmed] Sentinel v. Glover: Tolling of misdemeanor probation prohibited In Sentinel Offender Services v. Glover (2014), the Georgia Supreme Court held that the statutory framework precluded tolling of misdemeanor probation sentences, ending the practice by which companies extended probation beyond the statutory 12-month maximum to keep collecting fees. The ruling potentially affected at least 25,000 Georgia misdemeanor probationers. Date: 2014-11-24 Tags: legal,probation,corruption Sources: Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, S14A1033 - [confirmed] Technical violation revocation limited to 120 days Under OCGA § 42-8-102, when the sole basis for revocation is failure to pay or report, 'the court shall consider the use of alternatives to confinement... the court shall revoke the balance of probation or a period not to exceed 120 days in confinement, whichever is less.' Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: legal,probation,policy Sources: OCGA § 42-8-102 (2024) - [confirmed] No pre-hearing arrest warrant for failure to pay alone Georgia Code now specifies that when the sole basis for a probation revocation is for failure to pay fines, statutory surcharges, or probation supervision fees, no prehearing arrest warrant shall be issued — a critical 2017 reform. Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: legal,probation,policy Sources: OCGA § 42-8-102 (2024) - [confirmed] Bearden v. Georgia: Cannot imprison for inability to pay without inquiry The U.S. Supreme Court's 1983 ruling in Bearden v. Georgia held that a state cannot revoke probation and imprison a defendant solely for inability to pay a fine or restitution unless the court has determined, after inquiry, that the failure was willful or that the probationer had not made sufficient bona fide efforts to pay or that adequate alternative forms of punishment did not exist. Date: 1983-01-01 Tags: legal,probation Sources: Bearden v. Georgia, 461 U.S. 660 - [confirmed] Sentinel v. Glover: Private probation statute constitutional In Sentinel v. Glover, the Georgia Supreme Court held that Georgia's private probation statute (OCGA § 42-8-100(g)(1)) was constitutional and did not violate due process, equal protection, or condone imprisonment for debt. Date: 2014-11-24 Tags: legal,probation Sources: Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, S14A1033 - [confirmed] Sentinel v. Glover: Electronic monitoring authorized for misdemeanors Despite the lower court's contrary ruling, the Georgia Supreme Court held that judges had authority to impose electronic monitoring on misdemeanor defendants as a condition of probation. Date: 2014-11-24 Tags: legal,probation Sources: Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, S14A1033 - [confirmed] Sentinel v. Glover: Columbia County contract invalid Sentinel's contract with Columbia County had not been properly approved by the county's governing authority, so Sentinel had no right to collect probation supervision fees there. Date: 2014-11-24 Tags: legal,probation,corruption Sources: Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, S14A1033 - [confirmed] HB 328 (2015) extended parole eligibility for drug recidivists HB 328 (2015) extended parole eligibility to certain non-violent drug offenders sentenced as recidivists under OCGA § 16-13-30(d) and § 17-10-7(c) to terms of at least 12 years (and up to life without parole). The bill applied only to people sentenced to 12+ years as recidivists who had served at least 12 years. Date: 2015-07-01 Tags: legislation,drugs,parole Sources: 2015 Revisions to Georgia's Drug Recidivist Law: HB 328's Parole Eligibility Provisions CASE DETAILS (7) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Sentinel contracted with over 90 Georgia courts Sentinel Offender Services once contracted with over 90 Georgia courts. It withdrew from Georgia after litigation; statewide operations were acquired by CSRA in 2017. Tags: probation,corruption,operations Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Tom Barrett case: Jailed for $1,000+ in probation fees after stealing $2 can of beer Tom Barrett stole a single can of beer (US$2 value) in 2012, pled guilty to shoplifting, and was fined $200 with probation through Sentinel. He was destitute and selling his blood plasma twice a week to pay; he was ultimately jailed for failing to pay over $1,000 in fees to Sentinel — fees that exceeded his entire monthly income from plasma. Tags: probation,corruption,conditions Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Quentone Moore: 52 days in jail because homeless and couldn't install landline for EM Quentone Moore, an ex-marine in Augusta, pled guilty to misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to electronic monitoring through Sentinel. The monitor required a landline; Moore was homeless. He spent 52 days in jail simply because he had no residence where a landline could be installed. Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,conditions,corruption Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Van Houston: $4,500 fines/costs on $599/month Social Security Van Houston, a 64-year-old Vietnam veteran in Sandersville, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months' probation for DUI. He was an admitted alcoholic with $599 monthly Social Security as his only income. He was sentenced to $4,500 in fines/costs plus $40 monthly probation fees to Providence Community Corrections — required monthly payments of $216, more than a third of his $7,200 annual income. Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: probation,corruption,conditions Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] Thompson v. DeKalb County: $70,000 settlement and bench card reforms In Thompson v. DeKalb County (2015), Kevin Thompson, a 19-year-old Black DeKalb County resident, was jailed for five days because he could not afford to pay $838 in fines and fees from a traffic ticket. The settlement included a $70,000 payment, adoption of a bench card instructing judges on ability-to-pay determinations, training of court personnel, and replacement of JCS with Integrity Supervision Services. Date: 2015-03-18 Tags: legal,probation,corruption Sources: Thompson v. DeKalb County, American Civil Liberties Union - [confirmed] Bobby Whitworth bribery scandal with Detention Management Services Former Chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles Bobby Whitworth accepted a $75,000 bribe from Detention Management Services to influence passage of Senate Bill 474, legislation that would have transferred about 25,000 misdemeanants from the State Department of Corrections to individual counties. Date: 2000-01-01 Tags: corruption,probation,investigations Sources: Profiting from the Poor: A Report on Predatory Probation Companies in Georgia - [confirmed] One in four Sentinel ankle monitors were faulty (Los Angeles County audit) A September 2013 Los Angeles County internal audit found that one in four Sentinel-made ankle monitors used to monitor serious offenders were faulty. In June 2013, Orange County, California cancelled its contract with Sentinel after discovering multiple technical problems. Date: 2013-01-01 Tags: probation,operations,conditions Sources: Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse DATA GAPS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Private probation companies treat revenues as trade secrets Companies treated their actual revenues as a trade secret, and contracting courts generally did not track total fee collections. The $40 million annual estimate is a 2014 HRW figure that has not been publicly updated. Tags: probation,corruption,budget Sources: Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry - [confirmed] County-level revocation data is limited and fragmentary Only fragmentary data is publicly available on county-level felony probation populations and revocation rates. The DCS Office of Strategic Planning and Research promised a public revocation dashboard in spring 2021; current public availability of granular county-level revocation data remains limited. Tags: probation,demographics Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] Racial disparities in revocations lack comprehensive Georgia-specific data Georgia-specific revocation rates by race are best documented in the DCS 2019 Revocation Fact Sheet (limited to revocations to state prison). Comparable data for jail revocations and county-level revocations is much less consistent. Tags: demographics,probation Sources: Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 POLICYS (5) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Act 226 (2017) created the Behavioral Incentive Date (BID) Act 226 created the Behavioral Incentive Date: for first-time felony offenders, judges must specify a BID — a date at which probation can be reduced from an average of 5 years to no more than 3 years if the person has had no new arrests, paid all restitution, and complied with conditions. Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: policy,legislation,probation Sources: Georgia Justice Reinvestment Initiative - [confirmed] Act 226 codified graduated sanctions for technical violations Act 226 codified graduated sanctions for technical violations, capped revocation sentences (technical violation revocations limited to no more than 120 days for failure to pay/report), strengthened ability-to-pay inquiry requirements, and prohibited issuance of pre-hearing arrest warrants when the sole basis for revocation is failure to pay. Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: policy,legislation,probation Sources: Georgia Justice Reinvestment Initiative - [confirmed] Reform Georgia calls for ban on private probation and probation term caps Reform Georgia's Probation Reform platform proposes: prohibit contracting with private probation service providers, eliminate pay-only probation, restrict maximum probation sentences to 5 years or less, restrict fees, revise current extended sentences retroactively, restore voting rights to felony probationers, and ensure inability to pay never results in incarceration. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: policy,probation,legislation Sources: Probation Reform, Reform Georgia - [reported] GBPI recommends capping court fine/fee revenue at 10% of locality budget GBPI's 2024 Augusta report recommends: remove fee cap loopholes, limit misdemeanor probation to one year, end reliance on fines/fee revenue for local courts by expanding proactive revenue sources, cap local court fine/fee revenue to no more than 10 percent of a locality's budget, and reduce use of private companies. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: policy,probation,budget Sources: The Public Harm Under a For-Profit Probation System: Spotlight on Augusta - [confirmed] 2021 early termination eligibility requirements 2021 Georgia legislation expanding early-termination eligibility requires probationers to have served at least 3 years; have no new arrests other than minor traffic offenses; have no probation revocations in the last 2 years; and have paid all financial obligations, restitution, and court fees. Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: policy,legislation,probation Sources: Early Termination of Probation, Georgia Justice Project QUOTES (6) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Adam Gelb quote: Counterproductive to have so many under supervision Adam Gelb, president of the Council on Criminal Justice, told the AJC: 'It is absolutely counterproductive to have so many people under supervision for so long. And it would be a mistake even if there were double or triple the resources.' Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] LaGrange Police Chief: System created significant public safety concerns LaGrange Police Chief Lou Dekmar told the AJC: 'Based on my communication with community supervision officers, they are frustrated by the system... The system has created significant public safety concerns.' Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: probation,staffing,policy Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] DCS Commissioner Nail credits graduated sanctions and risk-based practices DCS Commissioner Michael Nail told state senators in November 2021 that 'the legislative changes the state made in 2017 led to the implementation of graduated sanctions and an increase in our use of risk-based supervision practices. Additional legislative changes in 2021, which allow for early discharge as an incentive for complying with probation terms, aligned with our commitment to provide opportunities for successful outcomes.' Date: 2021-11-01 Tags: probation,policy Sources: Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous - [confirmed] ACLU's Nusrat Choudhury: Thompson settlement is a model The ACLU's Nusrat Choudhury called the Thompson settlement 'a model for courts across Georgia and other states to help ensure that our poorest and richest citizens are treated equally and fairly.' Date: 2015-01-01 Tags: legal,probation Sources: Thompson v. DeKalb County, American Civil Liberties Union - [confirmed] Attorney Jack Long: Tolling issue affects tens of thousands of warrants Augusta attorney Jack Long, who represented many plaintiffs in Sentinel v. Glover, told the AJC: 'The tolling issue is a big issue because it is going to affect tens of thousands of misdemeanor warrants in Georgia.' Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: legal,probation Sources: Court rules private probation legal but extending sentences is not - [confirmed] Sarah Geraghty: Courts need to ensure private companies operate within law Sarah Geraghty, senior attorney at the Southern Center for Human Rights, said the Sentinel v. Glover decision underscored that 'county and municipal courts need to do a better job of ensuring that private probation companies are operating within the bounds of the law.' Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: legal,probation,corruption Sources: Court rules private probation legal but extending sentences is not DATASETS (4) ---------------------------------------- # DCS 2019 Revocation Breakdown Distribution of probation revocations to state prison by type (new offense, special condition violation, technical violation) in 2019 Revocation Type Count Percentage ------------------------------------------------- New Offenses 5219 68.5 Special Condition Violations 1225 16.1 Technical Violations 1173 15.4 # DCS Caseload and Supervision Metrics (2016-2021) Changes in DCS officer caseloads and unsupervised case status following Justice Reinvestment Initiative reforms Metric Baseline Value Post-Reform Value Change ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average caseload (2016 vs 2020) 138 93 -33% Average caseload (2016 vs 2021) 139 132 -5% Unsupervised cases (Apr 2016-Jun 2020) baseline +68% +68% DCS unsupervised approval rate N/A 34% N/A BID usage FY 2018 N/A 10.3% N/A BID usage FY 2020 N/A 21.6% N/A BID usage 3-year average N/A 15.6% N/A # Georgia Probation Population Estimates by Source Various estimates of Georgia's probation population from different sources and years, showing the range of reported figures Source Year Felony Probation Total Probation (felony+misdemeanor) Rate per 100,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DCS (About Us) 2015 180000 N/A N/A DCS (Felony Supervision page) 2020s 200000 N/A N/A Shannon (GA Law Review) 2015 N/A 5,570 Reform Georgia (BJS 2018 data) 2018 202421 ~420,000 N/A GBPI 2019 N/A 3,943 AJC 2021 190475 N/A N/A DCS Revocation Fact Sheet 2019 267,514 supervised N/A # National Racial Disparities in Supervision Violations Disparities between Black and White people in incarceration and supervision violation rates nationally Metric Black-to-White Ratio ------------------------------------------------------ Overall incarceration rate 5.2 Parole supervision rate 4.5 Prison readmission from parole 3.2 KEY ENTITIES (48) ---------------------------------------- - ACLU [organization]: Civil liberties organization that produced the 2022 'Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers' report with the University of Chicago Law School's Global Human Rights Clinic. (aka: American Civil Liberties Union) - Act 226 [legislation]: 2017 Georgia legislation codifying the Justice Reinvestment Initiative policy framework. Created the Behavioral Incentive Date, graduated sanctions, early termination provisions, and revocation sentence caps. (aka: HB 419, HB 328 era, 2017 Justice Reinvestment Initiative reforms) - Adam Gelb [person]: President of the Council on Criminal Justice. Criticized Georgia's probation system as 'absolutely counterproductive.' - Bearden v. Georgia [case]: 1983 U.S. Supreme Court ruling holding that the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits revoking probation and imprisoning an indigent defendant for failure to pay fines/restitution without first determining willfulness and considering alternatives. (aka: 461 U.S. 660) - Board of Community Supervision [organization]: Oversight board created by HB 310 (2015) to oversee DCS and private/governmental misdemeanor probation entities. Consists of commissioners from GDC, DJJ, Board of Pardons and Paroles, and DBHDD. Chaired by Steve Queen (former CSRA executive) as of 2025. - Bobby Whitworth [person]: Former Chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles who accepted a $75,000 bribe from Detention Management Services in 2000. - Bureau of Justice Statistics [organization]: Federal statistical agency within DOJ that collected and published mortality in correctional institutions data from approximately 2000 until 2019. (aka: BJS) - Chris Albin-Lackey [person]: Senior researcher at Human Rights Watch who authored the 2014 'Profiting from Probation' report. - Community Corrections Association of Georgia [organization]: Industry trade association for private probation companies operating in Georgia. - Council on Criminal Justice [organization]: National criminal justice policy organization. Operates the Pushing Toward Parity project tracking racial disparities. Led by Adam Gelb. - CSG Justice Center [organization]: Policy organization that designed and monitors the Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Georgia and other states. (aka: Council of State Governments Justice Center, CSG South) - CSRA Probation Services [organization]: Georgia's largest private misdemeanor probation provider. Founded November 1997 by Mike Popplewell. Holds contracts in approximately one-third of Georgia's 159 counties (170+ courts). Acquired Sentinel's statewide operations in 2017. (aka: CSRA Probation Services, Inc., CRSA Probation Services) - Danny Bearden [person]: Young Tunnel Hill, Georgia resident whose probation revocation for inability to pay led to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Bearden v. Georgia (1983). - Detention Management Services [organization]: Private probation company connected to the Bobby Whitworth bribery scandal in 2000. (aka: DMS, Detention Management Services, Inc.) - Fines and Fees Justice Center [organization]: National advocacy organization focused on the impact of fines and fees in the criminal justice system. - Georgia Budget and Policy Institute [organization]: Georgia-based policy research organization that published the FY2025 criminal legal systems budget primer and the Labor Day 2022 analysis of Georgia's correctional control. (aka: GBPI) - Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform [organization]: Reform body created under Governor Nathan Deal in 2013 that was a national model for evidence-based reform; influence waned after Deal left office in 2019 - Georgia Department of Community Supervision [organization]: Georgia agency that supervises people on probation and parole, maintains the THOR housing directory (aka: DCS) - 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 Justice Project [organization]: Advocacy organization tracking Georgia criminal justice data, criminal records, and occupational licensing reform (aka: GJP) - Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles [organization]: Georgia state agency responsible for parole decisions - HB 310 [legislation]: Georgia legislation signed May 7, 2015, creating the Department of Community Supervision and consolidating felony probation, parole supervision, and misdemeanor probation oversight. - HB 328 [legislation]: Georgia 2015 legislation extending parole eligibility to certain non-violent drug offenders sentenced as recidivists to terms of at least 12 years. - Human Rights Watch [organization]: International human rights organization listed as support resource (aka: HRW) - Integrity Supervision Services [organization]: Private probation company that replaced JCS in DeKalb County following the Thompson litigation. - Jack Long [person]: Augusta attorney who represented plaintiffs in Sentinel v. Glover and related private probation litigation. - Judicial Correction Services [organization]: Private probation company operating in Georgia that was shut down after a lawsuit; paid $2.4 million in 2018 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it operated a 'judicially sanctioned extortion racket' (aka: JCS) - Kevin Thompson [person]: 19-year-old Black DeKalb County resident jailed for five days for inability to pay $838 in fines and fees from a traffic ticket. Lead plaintiff in Thompson v. DeKalb County (2015). - Lou Dekmar [person]: LaGrange Police Chief who told the AJC the probation system 'has created significant public safety concerns.' - Michael Nail [person]: Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. Credited graduated sanctions and risk-based supervision practices for reform progress. - Mike Popplewell [person]: Founder of CSRA Probation Services (November 1997). Former 18-year veteran of the Georgia Department of Corrections. - Nathan Deal [person]: Former Georgia Governor (2011-2019) whose justice reinvestment reforms (2012-2015) resulted in a 6% prison population decrease, $264M in averted costs, and $57M reinvested. (aka: Governor Deal) - Nusrat Choudhury [person]: ACLU attorney who called the Thompson v. DeKalb County settlement 'a model for courts across Georgia.' - Prison Policy Initiative [organization]: Research and advocacy organization focused on prison conditions; published Cut-rate Care and Chronic Punishment reports (aka: PPI) - Providence Community Corrections [organization]: Private probation company active in Georgia and other Southern states. Faced major litigation in Tennessee. (aka: PCC) - Quentone Moore [person]: Ex-marine in Augusta sentenced to electronic monitoring through Sentinel who spent 52 days in jail because he was homeless and couldn't install a landline for the monitor. - Reform Georgia [organization]: State-level advocacy platform calling for fee-free communication for all Georgia facilities. - Sarah Geraghty [person]: Senior attorney at the Southern Center for Human Rights who commented on Sentinel v. Glover decision. - Sarah K.S. Shannon [person]: University of Georgia scholar who authored the 2020 Georgia Law Review article on probation and monetary sanctions in Georgia. (aka: Sarah Shannon) - Sentinel Offender Services [organization]: Private probation company operating in Georgia - Sentinel Offender Services v. Glover [case]: 2014 Georgia Supreme Court decision consolidating 13 individual plaintiffs' actions. Held private probation statute constitutional but prohibited tolling of misdemeanor sentences and required return of unauthorized fees. (aka: Sentinel v. Glover, S14A1033) - 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) - Steve Queen [person]: Chair of the Board of Community Supervision as of 2025. Formerly Director of Business Development at CSRA Probation Services and former Probation State Director with the Georgia Department of Corrections. His chairmanship raises conflict-of-interest concerns. - The Pew Charitable Trusts [organization]: Policy research organization. Published influential analyses of community supervision as a driver of incarceration, particularly the finding that 55% of Georgia prison admissions in 2015 were probation revocations. (aka: Pew) - Thompson v. DeKalb County [case]: 2015 federal lawsuit filed by ACLU on behalf of Kevin Thompson, challenging jailing for inability to pay fines/fees. Settled March 18, 2015 with $70,000 payment and court reform measures. (aka: 1:15-cv-00280-TWT) - Tom Barrett [person]: Augusta-area resident who stole a $2 can of beer, was placed on Sentinel probation, and was jailed for failing to pay over $1,000 in fees that exceeded his monthly income. - Urban Institute [organization]: Research organization that evaluated the VOI/TIS grant program (Sabol et al. 2002) and published 'Stemming the Tide' (2013) on federal prison system costs. - Van Houston [person]: 64-year-old Vietnam veteran in Sandersville, GA sentenced to $4,500 in fines/costs for DUI on $599/month Social Security income. SOURCES (55) ---------------------------------------- - 2015 Revisions to Georgia's Drug Recidivist Law: HB 328's Parole Eligibility Provisions, Southern Center for Human Rights (2015-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.schr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2015-Revisions-to-Georgia%E2%80%99s-Drug-Recidivist-Law-HB328%E2%80%99s-Parole-Eligibility-Provisions.pdf - 35 States Reform Criminal Justice Policies Through Justice Reinvestment, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2018-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.pew.org/-/media/assets/2018/07/pspp_reform_matrix.pdf - About Us, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia Department of Community Supervision [official_report, primary] URL: https://dcs.georgia.gov/about-us - Bearden v. Georgia annotation, Fines and Fees Justice Center, Fines and Fees Justice Center [legal_document, secondary] URL: https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/articles/bearden-v-georgia/ - Bearden v. Georgia, 461 U.S. 660, U.S. Supreme Court by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (1983-01-01) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/461/660/ - Community Supervision a Leading Driver of Incarceration, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2018-12-19) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/12/19/community-supervision-a-leading-driver-of-incarceration - Comprehensive Policies Can Improve Probation and Parole, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2020-04-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2020/04/comprehensive-policies-can-improve-probation-and-parole - Court rules private probation legal but extending sentences is not, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2014-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/court-rules-private-probation-legal-but-extending-sentences-not/4ZjqskjheBdbev0iHsMBEN/ - DeKalb County Settles Lawsuit, Ends Debtors' Prisons, Prison Legal News (2016-07-06) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/jul/6/dekalb-county-settles-lawsuit-ends-debtors-prisons/ - Early Termination of Probation, Georgia Justice Project, Georgia Justice Project [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.gjp.org/probation/ - Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Probation Revocation, Urban Institute [academic, secondary] URL: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/22746/413174-Examining-Racial-and-Ethnic-Disparities-in-Probation-Revocation.PDF - Fact Sheet on Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia, Reform Georgia (2019-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.senate.ga.gov/committees/Documents/ReportonFelonyDisenfranchisementinGeorgia.pdf - Felony Supervision, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia Department of Community Supervision [official_report, primary] URL: https://dcs.georgia.gov/felony-supervision - Five Evidence-Based Policies Can Improve Community Supervision, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2022-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.pew.org/es/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2022/01/five-evidence-based-policies-can-improve-community-supervision - Ga. Criminal Justice Reform Bill Revises Probation System, WABE [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.wabe.org/ga-criminal-justice-reform-bill-revises-probation-system/ - Georgia Criminal Justice Data Snapshot, CSG South (2023-12-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://csgsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/Georgia-Criminal-Justice-Data-Snapshot.pdf - Georgia Criminal Legal System Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2021, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (2021-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://gbpi.org/georgia-criminal-legal-system-budget-primer-for-state-fiscal-year-2021/ - Georgia HB310 | 2015-2016 Regular Session, LegiScan (2015-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://legiscan.com/GA/research/HB310/2015 - Georgia Justice Reinvestment Initiative, Justice Reinvestment Initiative [official_report, secondary] URL: https://justicereinvestmentinitiative.org/publications/georgia-justice-reinvestment-initiative/ - Georgia: Monitoring Data Trends after 2017 Justice Reinvestment Initiative Reforms, CSG Justice Center [official_report, secondary] URL: https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/georgia-monitoring-data-trends-after-2017-justice-reinvestment-initiative-reforms/ - Georgia's giant probation population undercuts focus on most dangerous, Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Carrie Teegardin and Brad Schrade (2022-01-24) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.ajc.com/news/investigations/georgias-giant-probation-population-undercuts-focus-on-most-dangerous/QVCRWNBOHBFWJPSJUTG6TVQP5I/ - Guided by Purpose, Grounded in Progress: DCS Celebrates 10 Years, Georgia Department of Community Supervision (2025-07-01) [press_release, primary] URL: https://dcs.georgia.gov/press-releases/2025-07-01/guided-purpose-grounded-progress-dcs-celebrates-10-years-smarter - HB 67 (FY 2025A) Criminal Justice and Public Safety Appropriations, Georgia General Assembly (2025-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/senate-budget-office-document-library/appropriations/2025/amended/afy2025_house_criminal_justice_and_public_safety.pdf - How Georgia's Probation System Squeezes the Poor and Feeds Mass Incarceration, American Civil Liberties Union [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/how-georgias-probation-system-squeezes-poor-and-feeds-mass-incarceration - Insights into the Private Probation Industry, CSRA Probation Services, CSRA Probation Services [press_release, primary] URL: https://csraprobation.com/in-the-news - Leadership and In the News, CSRA Probation Services, CSRA Probation Services [press_release, primary] URL: https://csraprobation.com/leadership - Misdemeanor Fee-based Probation Tolling Ends after Georgia Supreme Court Ruling, Atlanta Progressive News (2015-01-08) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://atlantaprogressivenews.com/2015/01/08/misdemeanor-fee-based-probation-tolling-ends-after-georgia-supreme-court-ruling/ - OCGA § 42-8-102 (2024), Justia (2024-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-42/chapter-8/article-6/section-42-8-102/ - OCGA § 42-8-23 (2024), Justia (2024-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-42/chapter-8/article-2/section-42-8-23/ - OCGA § 42-8-34.1 (2020), Justia (2020-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2020/title-42/chapter-8/article-2/section-42-8-34-1/ - One Size Fits None: How Standard Conditions of Probation Set People Up to Fail, Prison Policy Initiative (2024-10-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/probation_and_parole/ - Parole Population in Georgia, Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles (2025-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://pap.georgia.gov/parole-population-georgia - Probation and Monetary Sanctions in Georgia: Evidence from a Multi-Methods Study, Georgia Law Review, Vol. 54, No. 4 by Sarah K.S. Shannon (2020-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1227&context=glr - Probation and Parole in the United States, 2022, Bureau of Justice Statistics (2024-05-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/ppus22.pdf - Probation and Parole in the United States, 2023, Bureau of Justice Statistics (2025-07-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/ppus23.pdf - Probation and Parole Systems Marked by High Stakes, Missed Opportunities, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2018-09-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/09/probation-and-parole-systems-marked-by-high-stakes-missed-opportunities - Probation Reform, Reform Georgia, Reform Georgia [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.reformgeorgia.org/platform/probation-reform/ - Profiting from Probation: America's Offender-Funded Probation Industry, Human Rights Watch by Chris Albin-Lackey (2014-02-05) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/02/05/profiting-probation/americas-offender-funded-probation-industry - Profiting from the Poor: A Report on Predatory Probation Companies in Georgia, Southern Center for Human Rights (2008-07-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.schr.org/files/profit_from_poor.pdf - Pushing Toward Parity: Georgia, Council on Criminal Justice [official_report, secondary] URL: https://reports.counciloncj.org/racial-disparities/georgia - Revocation Fact Sheet 2019, Georgia Department of Community Supervision (2019-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://dcs.georgia.gov/document/document/dcs-revocation-fact-sheetpdf/download - SCRAM Provider in Georgia - CSRA Probation Services, Inc., SCRAM Systems [press_release, primary] URL: https://www.scramsystems.com/providers/csra-probation/ - Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse [legal_document, secondary] URL: https://clearinghouse.net/case/14334/ - Sentinel Offender Services, LLC v. Glover, S14A1033, Supreme Court of Georgia by Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson (2014-11-24) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://law.justia.com/cases/georgia/supreme-court/2014/s14a1033.html - Set up to Fail: The Impact of Offender-Funded Private Probation on the Poor, Human Rights Watch (2018-02-20) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/02/20/set-fail/impact-offender-funded-private-probation-poor - States Can Shorten Probation and Protect Public Safety, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2020-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/publications/the-pew-charitable-trusts-states-can-shorten-probation-and-protect-public-safety-2020/ - Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration, Council of State Governments Justice Center (2025-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://projects.csgjusticecenter.org/supervision-violations-impact-on-incarceration/key-findings/ - Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration 2024 report, Council of State Governments Justice Center (2024-01-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://projects.csgjusticecenter.org/supervision-violations-impact-on-incarceration/key-findings/2024-report/ - Support Georgians' Economic Security, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute [official_report, secondary] URL: https://gbpi.org/support-georgians-economic-security/ - The Justice Reinvestment Initiative Improves Community Supervision, Bureau of Justice Assistance (2021-05-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/jri-improves-community-supervision.pdf - The Public Harm Under a For-Profit Probation System: Spotlight on Augusta, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (2024-12-10) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://gbpi.org/the-public-harm-under-a-for-profit-probation-system-spotlight-on-augusta/ - Thompson v. DeKalb County Complaint, American Civil Liberties Union (2015-01-29) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/thompson_v._dekalb_county_complaint.pdf - Thompson v. DeKalb County, American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union (2015-01-01) [legal_document, secondary] URL: https://www.aclu.org/cases/thompson-v-dekalb-county - Thompson v. DeKalb County, Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse [legal_document, secondary] URL: https://clearinghouse.net/case/14336/ - To Safely Cut Incarceration, States Rethink Responses to Supervision Violations, The Pew Charitable Trusts (2019-07-01) [official_report, secondary] URL: https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2019/07/to-safely-cut-incarceration-states-rethink-responses-to-supervision-violations