Conditions & Operations
GDC Overwatch & Logistic (OWL) Unit Command Center: Technology, Surveillance & Budget Analysis
Georgia is constructing the OWL (Overwatch & Logistic) Unit Command Center, a first-of-its-kind centralized prison surveillance system integrating drone detection, managed access cell phone interdiction across 35 prisons, Axon Fusus real-time intelligence, body cameras, digital mail scanning, and statewide WiFi into a single command hub. Budget documents reveal at least $17.8 million dedicated to OWL itself, embedded within a broader $600+ million corrections investment that includes over $150 million in technology spending. No other U.S. state department of corrections operates a comparable system, and no civil liberties organization has publicly addressed it by name. The system's components, including drone detection at Georgia prisons and an O.W.L. radar (O.W.L. is a joint venture of Leidos subsidiary Dynetics and Alabama Power) documented at Baldwin State Prison, raise significant surveillance, privacy, and spending priority concerns.
Where this research is used
This page is a research collection: individual facts drawn from the sources listed further down, each traced to where it came from. A research topic brings many collections together into one overview of an issue. The facts on this page feed these 3 topics; open one to see how they fit with the rest of the evidence.
Budget & Spending
Georgia's prison budget rose from $1.53 billion in fiscal 2024 to an all-time peak of $1.91 billion in fiscal 2025, then settled near $1.79 billion for fiscal 2027. Across that arc the money moved toward health contracts, private beds and surveillance technology while the state-operated prison program, food service and education shrank. GPS's own budget series has since corrected several of its earlier headline claims, and the gap between what the state appropriates and what it can show for it remains the central accountability problem.
11,375 data points
Communications & Technology
Georgia's prison communications system runs through a single vendor family — Securus Technologies for phone calls, its subsidiary JPay for tablets, email and money transfers — under a contract that pays the state 59.6 percent of gross call revenue. Families pay per-minute charges, per-stamp email fees, transfer fees and tablet content prices that bear little relation to consumer telecom costs, while the state simultaneously spends roughly $50 million on managed access systems meant to block the contraband phones that compete with that paid network. GPS's research finds the blocking approach has not reduced phone-related incidents, has produced no accountability for staff smuggling, and rests on tens of millions of dollars in procurement that left no public paper trail.
3,852 data points
Facility Conditions & Infrastructure
Georgia's prison system is physically failing: a stock of buildings whose average age exceeds 30 years and whose design life the state's own commissioner puts at 15 to 20, run at multiples of their original design capacity, with locks that do not lock, plumbing that does not drain, mold that is not removed and housing that is not cooled. A 2024 federal findings report, a 2024 Senate study committee and a December 2024 consultant assessment all reached the same conclusion in different words — that the physical plant is an emergency. The state's answer has been a $600 million construction-and-repair program whose own timelines, the commissioner has said, will run years past the funding window.
11,131 data points
Key Findings
The most impactful data from this research collection. Tap a card for the full finding, GPS commentary on why it matters, and its source.
The finding
The technology systems OWL commands — managed access, drone detection, cameras, body cameras, tablets, mail screening, Data Intelligence platform — represent well over $150 million in combined technology spending across multiple fiscal years.
Why it matters · GPS commentary
Counting only the roughly $17.8 million labelled for OWL understates the system's cost many times over. The rest is spread across separate budget lines and fiscal years, which makes the full scope hard to see.
Our reading of the finding above. It is not part of the source.
The finding
The $35,027,675 managed access and drone detection appropriation in AFY2025 is the single largest technology line item, supporting cell phone interdiction systems covering all 35 of Georgia's operational state prisons.
Why it matters · GPS commentary
Cell phone and drone interdiction is the core spending priority behind OWL, yet the procurement vehicle for this money remains unidentified. By comparison, FY2026 funded vocational education programs with $805,000.
Our reading of the finding above. It is not part of the source.All Data Points
88 verified data points extracted from primary sources.
OWL Unit Command Center under construction Case detail
Commissioner Tyrone Oliver reported to the Board of Corrections on September 4, 2025 that the 'Overwatch & Logistic (OWL) Unit Command Center' is 'under construction,' alongside a 'CGL partnership.'
OWL function: continuous statewide camera monitoring Quote
Georgia State Representative Dale Washburn described OWL's function in a March 2025 legislative recap of HB 67: body cameras and tasers 'will be linked to an Over Watch Logistics Unit (OWL), funded at $7.2 million, that will continuously monitor security cameras across the state, enabling a rapid response to disturbances.'
OWL paired with Axon Fusus at April 2025 Board meeting Finding
At the April 3, 2025 Board of Corrections meeting, Commissioner Oliver's technology presentation explicitly paired OWL with Fusus, referencing 'the Over Watch and Logistics Unit (and Fusus).' This is the earliest identified public link between OWL and the Axon Fusus real-time crime center platform.
Ten distinct technology streams converging into OWL Finding
Based on September 2025 and April 2025 Board meeting minutes, ten distinct technology streams feed into OWL: Officer Tablets, AeroDefense/AirWarden drone detection, Managed Access, Electronic Health Records, Taser 10, OWL Unit, Mail Screening, Body Worn Cameras, Digital Forensics Unit, and the Data Intelligence Advanced Integration system.
OWL-specific funding: ~$17.8 million over three fiscal years Statistic
Tallied across known appropriations, the OWL Unit itself accounts for approximately $17.8 million over three fiscal years: $7.2 million (AFY2025), $3.8 million (FY2026), $1.2 million + $5.5 million (FY2027).
$17.8M
Total technology spending commanded by OWL exceeds $150 million Statistic
The technology systems OWL commands — managed access, drone detection, cameras, body cameras, tablets, mail screening, Data Intelligence platform — represent well over $150 million in combined technology spending across multiple fiscal years.
$150M
Governor Kemp's corrections investment exceeds $600 million Statistic
Governor Kemp's total corrections investment package across AFY2025 and FY2026 exceeded $600 million, with FY2026 representing a 44% increase over FY2022 levels.
$600M
AFY2025 total new GDC funding: $345.9 million Statistic
The Amended FY2025 budget (HB 67), signed by Governor Kemp in March 2025, carried $345.9 million in total new GDC funding.
$345.9M
$35 million managed access investment — largest single tech line item Statistic
The $35,027,675 managed access and drone detection appropriation in AFY2025 is the single largest technology line item, supporting cell phone interdiction systems covering all 35 of Georgia's operational state prisons.
$35.0M
$84.6 million for thermal cameras, CCTVs, and perimeter security statewide Statistic
The AFY2026 Governor's Budget proposed $84,661,607 for 'design and construction of fire alarm replacements, perimeter security and lighting, thermal cameras, and CCTVs, statewide.' This camera infrastructure is what Fusus aggregates into the OWL command center's operational picture.
$84.7M
AFY2025: $7,224,150 for body cameras and tasers Statistic
The Amended FY2025 budget included $7,224,150 for body cameras and tasers, which feed into the OWL system.
$7.2M
AFY2025: $15,048,183 for Electronic Health Records Statistic
The Amended FY2025 budget included $15,048,183 for department-owned Electronic Health Records, replacing a private vendor system.
$15.0M
AFY2025: $2,506,740 for officer tablets Statistic
The Amended FY2025 budget included $2,506,740 for officer tablets.
$2.5M
AFY2025: $913,248 for off-site mail screening Statistic
The Amended FY2025 budget included $913,248 for off-site mail screening.
$913,248
FY2026: $3,805,472 for OWL personnel and technology fees Statistic
FY2026 Line 120.20 provided $3,805,472 'for personnel for the Over Watch and Logistics (OWL) Unit and ongoing technology fees.' This was inserted by the House and was absent from the Governor's original recommendation.
$3.8M
FY2026: $1,950,000 for Data Intelligence Advanced Integration system Statistic
FY2026 Line 120.21 provided $1,950,000 for 'the annual operations costs of the Data Intelligence Advanced Integration system.' This was inserted by the House and was absent from the Governor's original recommendation.
$2.0M
FY2026: $4,114,511 for Digital Forensics Unit contract Statistic
FY2026 Line 120.19 provided $4,114,511 to continue the Digital Forensics Unit contract. This was inserted by the House and was absent from the Governor's original recommendation.
$4.1M
FY2026: $2,457,440 for officer tablet software licenses Statistic
FY2026 budget included $2,457,440 for officer tablet software licenses.
$2.5M
FY2026: $3,584,932 for body camera and taser support Statistic
FY2026 budget included $3,584,932 for body camera and taser support.
$3.6M
FY2026: $1,826,486 for mail screening Statistic
FY2026 budget included $1,826,486 for mail screening.
$1.8M
AFY2026: $13,387,475 proposed for managed access and drone detection Statistic
The AFY2026 Governor's Budget proposed $13,387,475 for managed access and drone detection.
$13.4M
FY2027: $1,238,495 to annualize OWL Unit personnel Statistic
The AFY2026/FY2027 Governor's Budget proposed $1,238,495 to 'annualize personnel for the Over Watch and Logistics (OWL) Unit.'
$1.2M
FY2027: $5,521,230 for additional OWL technology costs Statistic
The AFY2026/FY2027 Governor's Budget proposed $5,521,230 for 'additional technology costs for the Over Watch and Logistics (OWL) Unit to enhance safety, security, and technology.'
$5.5M
FY2026 budget: $200 million increase, $75 million above Governor's recommendation Statistic
The FY2026 GDC budget included a $200 million corrections spending increase approved by the General Assembly, which was $75 million above the Governor's recommendation.
$200M vs. 75 million above Governor's recommendation
GDC spending increased 44% since FY2022 Statistic
Since FY2022, GDC spending has increased 44%, representing a massive surge in corrections investment.
44%
FY2026: Only $805,000 for vocational education programs Statistic
The FY2026 budget allocated only $805,000 for vocational education programs, compared to over $50 million for technology and security improvements — a stark disparity between surveillance and rehabilitation investment.
$805,000 vs. 50,000,000 technology and security improvements
Fusus described as enabling single Operations Center for corrections Quote
Axon's corrections marketing materials describe Fusus as enabling 'a single Operations Center' to have 'real-time access to live and recorded video from multiple Corrections facilities, in one interface, accessed from a single computer.'
Axon Fusus case study: 'large Southern State' DOC with ~40 facilities Finding
One Axon case study references 'a large Southern State' DOC with roughly 40 facilities that received a $30 million estimate from an incumbent for camera upgrades, which Axon Fusus quoted 'at a fraction of the cost.' Georgia, with 36 state prisons, fits that description precisely.
Trace-Tek/ShawnTech hold CIS agreements for 28 Georgia facilities Statistic
Trace-Tek LLC, the exclusive partner of ShawnTech Communications, holds FCC Contraband Interdiction System (CIS) lease agreements for 28 Georgia facilities.
28 facilities
ShawnTech/Trace-Tek claim 86% of all FCC CIS licenses nationwide Statistic
ShawnTech claims to hold, together with Trace-Tek, '86% of the CIS licenses issued' by the FCC nationwide.
86%
CellBlox operates CIS at four Georgia facilities Statistic
CellBlox Acquisitions LLC, a subsidiary of Securus Technologies, operates CIS at four Georgia facilities: Jimmy Autry, Macon, Smith, and Telfair state prisons.
4 facilities
Hawks Ear Communications covers three Georgia facilities Case detail
Hawks Ear Communications LLC covers three Georgia facilities: Hancock, Phillips, and Valdosta state prisons. Incorporated in Florida in 2015 with manager Roger Banks, no public website or meaningful corporate disclosure exists.
Securus invested over $40 million in managed access technology Statistic
After acquiring CellBlox's assets in January 2015, Securus Technologies subsequently invested over $40 million in managed access technology acquisitions including patents, Vanu Tactical, and cellXion.
$40M
CellBlox Georgia presence dates to 2014 managed access pilot Case detail
CellBlox's Georgia presence dates to a 2014 managed access pilot at a maximum-security facility. Securus acquired CellBlox's assets in January 2015.
Trace-Tek C-DOS program bypasses warrant process Finding
Trace-Tek operates a 'Cellular Denial of Service (C-DOS)' program that permanently disables contraband phones from connecting to cellular networks — a capability it markets as bypassing the warrant process.
O.W.L. is a joint venture between Dynetics and Alabama Power Company Finding
Observation Without Limits LLC (O.W.L.) is described on Dynetics' website as a joint venture between Dynetics (a wholly owned Leidos subsidiary) and Alabama Power Company (a Southern Company subsidiary). This means one of the South's largest utilities has a direct stake in prison surveillance radar.
GroundAware radar: coverage and range differ by model (GA4120 up to 2,000 acres / 4 km; GA9000 15 km) Finding
O.W.L.'s GroundAware radars use S-band digital beamforming. Range and coverage depend on the model; the 2,000-acre and 15 km figures belong to different units. Per O.W.L.'s current spec sheets: the GA1360LH (2D) covers up to 750 acres; the GA4120 (2D) covers up to 2,000 acres with a 4 km range and a 120-degree field of view per panel; the GA9000 (3D, GA9090/GA9120 configurations) has a 15 km instrumented range. Every GroundAware radar spec sheet (GA1360LH, GA3360, GA4120, GA7360LR, GA9000) describes a "Solid state system with no moving parts" with an architecture of "Simultaneous multiple beams": fixed units that do not rotate. Which model GDC installed at Baldwin State Prison (BJA grant 2020-BX-0002, described as an 'OWLD 3D Radar') is not publicly documented.
GroundAware radar updates target data up to 8 times per second Statistic
The GroundAware radar system updates target data up to eight times per second, observing entire sectors simultaneously rather than scanning.
8 updates per second
GroundAware deployed at approximately 400 sites worldwide Statistic
O.W.L./GroundAware operates at approximately 400 critical infrastructure and government sites worldwide, despite not appearing in any Leidos SEC filing due to being too small relative to Leidos' $16+ billion annual revenue.
400 sites worldwide
BJA grant funded O.W.L.D. 3D Radar at Baldwin State Prison Statistic
Bureau of Justice Assistance grant #2020-BX-0002 awarded GDC $420,216 under the FY2020 'Safeguarding Correctional Facilities and Public Safety by Addressing Contraband Cellphones' program to purchase and implement an 'OWLD 3D Radar' UAV Detection System at Baldwin State Prison.
$420,216
Operation Skyhawk: 150 arrests including 8 correctional officers Case detail
Operation Skyhawk (concluded March 2024), a GDC drone-based contraband operation, resulted in 150 arrests including eight correctional officers.
Operation Skyhawk seizures: 87 drones, 273 cell phones, 22 weapons Statistic
Operation Skyhawk resulted in confiscation of 87 drones, 273 cell phones, and 22 weapons.
87 drones seized
GDC recovered 3,200 cell phones in 2019 Statistic
In 2019 alone, GDC recovered 3,200 cell phones in its prisons.
3,200 cell phones
AeroDefense deployed at Georgia prisons since December 2017 Case detail
GDC has deployed AeroDefense's AirWarden drone detection system since December 2017, making Georgia one of the earliest state prison systems to deploy RF-based drone detection. Securus Technologies selected and deployed the system.
GDC quote: AeroDefense 'always detects and never fails' Quote
A GDC spokesperson stated: 'Out of numerous tests with other drone detection equipment from virtually all the big companies that have drone detection technologies, AeroDefense stands apart from others. The system always detects and never fails.'
AirWarden operating at 25 locations as of September 2025 Statistic
As of the September 2025 Board meeting, GDC was operating the AeroDefense/AirWarden drone detection system at 25 locations, with plans to expand to additional sites.
25 locations
AeroDefense integrated O.W.L. radar into AirWarden in 2023 Case detail
In 2023, AeroDefense publicly integrated O.W.L.'s GroundAware radar into AirWarden, creating a layered detection system combining RF triangulation with radar tracking.
1,050 officer tablets deployed, 1,600 planned Statistic
As of January 2025, 1,050 officer tablets had been deployed, with plans for 1,600 statewide across all 35 state prisons by end of 2025.
1,050 tablets deployed vs. 1,600 planned total
No other state DOC operates comparable centralized surveillance system Finding
An exhaustive search of all 50 state DOC systems and the Federal Bureau of Prisons found no operational equivalent to Georgia's OWL Unit Command Center. Georgia's system appears to be first-of-its-kind in American corrections.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Tennessee proposed CSIC: $5 million budget, 26 officers, not yet built Case detail
Tennessee's proposed Centralized Security Intelligence Center (CSIC) was pitched by TDOC Commissioner Frank Strada in February 2026 with a $5 million budget request for AI-enabled cameras, drone detection, and centralized monitoring staffed by 26 officers. It remains at the proposal stage — not under construction.
No civil liberties organization has publicly addressed OWL by name Finding
Despite the system's unprecedented scope, no civil liberties organization has publicly addressed Georgia's OWL Unit by name. The ACLU of Georgia, Southern Center for Human Rights, SPLC, Georgia Justice Project, and EFF have issued no statements, filed no legal challenges, and published no policy analyses about the integrated command center.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
EFF warning: Fusus 'encourages adoption of additional surveillance tools' Quote
The Electronic Frontier Foundation published a major investigative report on Fusus in 2023, warning that it 'really encourages the adoption of additional surveillance tools' and calling real-time crime centers 'a gateway' to expanded surveillance.
ACLU of Michigan: Fusus is 'gateway drug into other surveillance technologies' Quote
The ACLU of Michigan described Fusus-enabled systems as 'a gateway drug into other surveillance technologies.'
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Senator Tillery quote: 'Prisons are for punishment and rehabilitation — not TikTok' Quote
Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery declared: 'Prisons are for punishment and rehabilitation — not TikTok,' reflecting Georgia's uniformly supportive political environment for the technology deployment.
OWL prison solution: 'eliminates need for staff to patrol perimeters' Quote
O.W.L.'s prison solution sheet states: 'GroundAware eliminates the need for prison staff to patrol prison yards and perimeters or to monitor video screens.'
AeroDefense CEO on layered system: 'contraband prevention platform' Quote
AeroDefense CEO Linda Ziemba said the combined AirWarden-GroundAware system offers 'a contraband prevention platform to detect and prevent airborne contraband deliveries by drone and ground-based contraband deliveries by people or vehicles.'
October 2022: Board discussed expanding WiFi to all facilities Policy
The October 2022 Board of Corrections meeting discussed 'expanding Wi-Fi to all facilities' as an 18-24 month priority, suggesting the GDC-OWL WiFi network build-out began in 2023.
OWL Command Center location unknown — likely Forsyth Data gap
The physical location of the OWL Command Center is not documented in any accessible record. Circumstantial evidence points to GDC headquarters at State Offices South, Tift College campus, Forsyth, Georgia, but no construction permit, property record, or official statement confirms the site.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
$35 million managed access procurement vehicle unidentified Data gap
The specific procurement vehicle for the $35 million managed access deployment — which vendor or vendors received the contract, through what RFP or sole-source process — is not publicly visible. Georgia's Team Georgia Marketplace does not expose individual GDC contract details for these systems.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
CGL's precise role in OWL construction unstated Data gap
CGL's precise role in the OWL construction (design, program management, general contracting, or some combination) is unstated beyond the Board minutes' reference to a 'CGL partnership.'
GDC-OWL WiFi network funding and vendor unknown Data gap
The GDC-OWL WiFi network — the branded statewide prison WiFi system — appears nowhere in any budget document, board minutes, or procurement record under that name. Its vendor, cost, technical specifications, and relationship to managed access infrastructure remain undocumented.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Data Intelligence Advanced Integration system entirely opaque Data gap
The Data Intelligence Advanced Integration system, funded at $1.95 million in FY2026, has no public description beyond its budget line item and a single mention in the April 2025 Board minutes. Its vendor, capabilities, and relationship to OWL are entirely opaque.
Multiple sets of 2024-2025 Board minutes inaccessible Data gap
Five sets of 2025 Board minutes (June, April 30, October, November, December) and five sets of 2024 minutes (March, May, October, November, December) could not be accessed due to PDF retrieval limitations. These likely contain additional OWL references.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
OWL system built incrementally to obscure total scope Methodology note
The OWL program has been built incrementally across overlapping appropriations, vendor relationships, and federal grants since at least 2017, making the full scope difficult to see from any single document. OWL-related spending has been distributed across appropriations in a way that obscures the total investment.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Fusus platform originated in municipal policing Finding
The integration of Axon Fusus — a platform that originated in municipal policing real-time crime centers — into a state corrections system at this scale represents a qualitative shift from facility-level security technology to centralized, statewide surveillance infrastructure.
OWL never announced via press conference or press release Finding
The OWL Unit was never announced in a press conference or press release. It does not appear on GDC's public-facing website. Its funding was distributed across three fiscal years and multiple budget bills.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Documented O.W.L. radar scope: one prison (Baldwin State Prison); range not documented Finding
The only O.W.L. radar documented at a Georgia prison is at Baldwin State Prison, bought with Bureau of Justice Assistance grant 2020-BX-0002 ($420,216; an 'OWLD 3D Radar' UAV detection system). Its model, and so its range and coverage, are not publicly documented: 15 km is the instrumented range of O.W.L.'s long-range GA9000, not a documented property of any Georgia installation. GDC's wider drone-detection deployment, AeroDefense AirWarden at 25 locations, is RF (radio-frequency) detection, not radar. No source in this collection documents radar at 36 (or any other number of) prison facilities.
Commissary price increases shifted $5 million to incarcerated people and families Statistic
Commissary price increases shifted $5 million in costs to incarcerated people and families in FY2021.
$5M
Trace-Tek website is single-page GoDaddy site Finding
Trace-Tek's website is a single-page GoDaddy-hosted site with almost no corporate information, despite the company holding CIS agreements for 28 Georgia prison facilities.
Source
Leidos annual revenue exceeds $16 billion Statistic
Leidos, the parent of Dynetics which owns O.W.L., has over $16 billion in annual revenue. O.W.L./GroundAware does not appear in any Leidos SEC filing, earnings call, or investor presentation because the product line is too small to warrant individual disclosure.
$16B
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
CGL acquired by Hunt Companies Case detail
CGL (Carter, Goble Lee Companies), the corrections consulting firm referenced alongside OWL in Board minutes, was acquired by Hunt Companies.
Guidehouse/CGL/Moss Group assessment led to $600M+ budget recommendations Case detail
CGL was part of the Guidehouse consulting team (with The Moss Group) hired by Governor Kemp in June 2024 for the system-wide assessment that led to $600+ million in budget recommendations announced in January 2025.
New Washington County prison: $436.7 million Statistic
CGL is a project partner on the $436.7 million new state prison being built in Washington County (Davisboro), alongside NELSON Worldwide as architect. Construction is estimated to start Summer 2026.
$436.7M
Georgia has 36 state prisons, 35 operational Statistic
Georgia has 36 state prisons, with 35 currently operational. All 35 operational prisons are covered by managed access cell phone interdiction.
35 operational state prisons
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Securus as GDC primary phone provider since at least 2016 Finding
Securus Technologies has been GDC's primary inmate telephone service provider since at least 2016, and also deployed AeroDefense drone detection and operates managed access at four prisons through subsidiary CellBlox.
Securus multiple roles create conflict of interest Finding
Securus occupies multiple roles: primary phone provider, drone detection deployer, and managed access operator at four prisons. Each new layer of technology is another revenue or contract opportunity for the same companies that profit from the communications extraction economy.
Source
- GPS OWL Unit Research Brief
Henry Rutherford appointed GDC IT Director April 2022 Case detail
Henry Rutherford was appointed Director of the Office of Information Technology at GDC in April 2022, overseeing all GDC IT including the technology projects feeding into OWL.
Trace-Tek received FCC Phase 1 CIS certification March 2024 Legal fact
Trace-Tek LLC received FCC Phase 1 CIS certification in March 2024.
Hawks Ear received FCC Phase 1 CIS certification March 2025 Legal fact
Hawks Ear Communications LLC received FCC Phase 1 CIS certification in March 2025.
FCC CIS program established under 2024 Second Report and Order Legal fact
The FCC's Contraband Interdiction System (CIS) program, established under a 2024 Second Report and Order, created the first legal framework for managed access in prisons, requiring carriers to lease spectrum and allowing CIS operators to capture and deny service to unauthorized phones.
GDC technology stack includes Viken Detection contraband equipment Finding
GDC deploys Viken Detection's Nighthawk handheld X-ray imagers, Broadwing transmission bars, and Foxhound portable narcotics analyzers for contraband detection, led by Director of Special Operations Antonnio Printup.
Axon acquired Fusus in 2024 Case detail
Axon Enterprise (formerly TASER International) acquired Fusus in 2024, bringing the real-time crime center platform under the body camera and taser company's umbrella.
Georgia joined NASPO agreement for phone/tablet services mid-2024 Policy
Georgia joined the NASPO master agreement for phone and tablet services as of mid-2024, with Securus as one of five available vendors.
No GDC radar or drone-detection purchase appears in the Georgia Procurement Registry Data gap
Title searches of the Georgia Procurement Registry on 2026-10-18 (drone, UAV, UAS, radar, unmanned, aerial, AeroDefense, AirWarden, Observation Without, OWL, counter, Dedrone, Aeroscope) returned no GDC (agency 46700) solicitation, award or sole-source notice for radar or drone detection. Neither the AeroDefense AirWarden deployment (25 locations) nor the O.W.L. radar at Baldwin State Prison bought with BJA grant 2020-BX-0002 appears. This indicates GDC's drone detection is bought outside the registry; it is not proof that no contract exists.
Computech International holds GDC open contract for cellular managed access (est. $20,936,400) Finding
GDC established an open agency contract with Computech International Inc., estimated at $20,936,400, for "equipment to allow for cellular managed access at multiple correctional facilities, installation services, training services and on-going maintenance of equipment and mobile assessment operation services." It was a cooperative (consortia) purchase off GSA Contract 47QTCA19D00JN; notice of intent 2024-05-30, notice of award posted 2024-06-24 (event PE-46700-CON-2024-000000010). The record does not establish any relationship between Computech and the FCC CIS licensees Trace-Tek/ShawnTech, CellBlox or Hawks Ear.
GDC sole-source purchase of Axon FususOne Enterprise Plus license ($167,688) Finding
GDC posted a sole-source notice (2025-01-07) to purchase a "FususOne Enterprise Plus Level SAAS license" from Axon Enterprise, Inc.; the notice of award (2025-06-16) gives a fixed contract amount of $167,688.00 (event PE-46700-SS-2025-000000016). Axon's attached sole-source letter bases the claim on Fusus's integration with the Axon Body 4 camera system. This is direct documentary confirmation that GDC buys Fusus, beyond the inference from Axon's 'large Southern State' case study.
FY2019 interim sole source for a three-facility Hawks Ear managed access pilot (est. $2,300,000) Finding
In FY2019 the Department of Administrative Services posted, on GDC's behalf, an interim sole source for "a turn-key solution for managing and controlling cell service usage for all unauthorized and authorized cellular and wireless devices within a correctional facility as provided by Hawks Ear Communications": a "comprehensive, three facility pilot" estimated at $2,300,000 (event SN-SoleSource-46700-433; NOIA 2018-12-14, NOA 2019-03-15). The notice says the pilot "is based on previously conducted, limited proof-of-concept test" and that "A successful technology pilot may result in the issuance of a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) by GDC." The notice does not name the facilities. It predates Hawks Ear's 2022 Georgia registration.
State counter-UAS program: GEMA/Homeland Security owns seven Dedrone (Aerial Armor) systems; $200,000 Dedrone sole source (Feb 2024) Finding
GEMA/Homeland Security (event posted under agency 42200, Office of Planning and Budget) awarded Dedrone Holdings, Inc. a $200,000 fixed sole-source contract, with option to 4 renewals, for a DJI Aeroscope G-8 drone detection system plus Aerial Armor software (event PE-42200-SS-2024-000000002; NOIA 2024-02-15, NOA 2024-02-26). The notice states: "The State currently owns seven Dedrone(Aerial Armor) drone detections systems which will require Maintenance and support from Dedrone ... to continue operation of the counter-Unmanned Aerial System Program." The Aeroscope detects DJI drones and their pilots from the drone's radio link; it is not radar. The notice's price list also includes a "Dedrone Radar Detection System" at $135,000.00 per device with no quantity stated. The notice does not state where the systems are located or link them to GDC facilities.
Sources
63 cited sources backing this research.
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Key Entities
Organizations, people, facilities, and other named entities referenced in this research.
ACLU of Georgia
[organization]
ACLU of Michigan
[organization]
AeroDefense
[organization]
Alabama Power Company
[organization]
Alan Watson
[person]
Antonnio Printup
[person]
Aventiv Technologies
[organization]
Axon Enterprise
[organization]
Baldwin State Prison
[facility]
Blake Tillery
[person]
Brian Kemp
[person]
Bureau of Justice Assistance
[organization]
CellBlox Acquisitions LLC
[organization]
CGL Companies
[organization]
Dale Washburn
[person]
Data Intelligence Advanced Integration
[program]
Dawn Mock
[person]
Dynetics
[organization]
EFF
[organization]
Federal Communications Commission
[organization]
Frank Strada
[person]
Fusus
[program]
GDC-OWL WiFi Network
[program]
Georgia Department of Corrections
[organization]
Guidehouse
[organization]
Hawks Ear Communications LLC
[organization]
HB 67
[legislation]
HB 68
[legislation]
Henry Rutherford
[person]
Hunt Companies
[organization]
Joel Tolliver
[person]
Leidos
[organization]
Linda Ziemba
[person]
Louis DeBroux
[person]
NELSON Worldwide
[organization]
Observation Without Limits LLC
[organization]
Operation Skyhawk
[operation]
OWL Unit Command Center
[program]
Platinum Equity
[organization]
Roger Banks
[person]
Securus Technologies
[organization]
ShawnTech Communications
[organization]
Southern Center for Human Rights
[organization]
Southern Company
[organization]
SPLC
[organization]
Tennessee CSIC
[program]
The Moss Group
[organization]
Tom Gores
[person]
Trace-Tek LLC
[organization]
Tyrone Oliver
[person]
Viken Detection
[organization]