Probation and Community Supervision
Probation and Community Supervision in Georgia: A Comprehensive Research Collection
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.
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 6 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
Oversight & Accountability
Georgia runs one of the largest prison systems in the United States with no independent body empowered to inspect it, and every internal mechanism that might substitute for outside oversight — the Board of Corrections, the Office of Professional Standards, the inmate grievance system, PREA audits, ACA accreditation, and the department's own mortality reviews — is staffed, funded, and answered to by the agency it would police. The result is a documented pattern in which the only functioning accountability actor has been the federal government: a Justice Department investigation opened in 2016, expanded twice, and concluded in October 2024 with a finding that Georgia's prisons violate the Eighth Amendment, followed by no consent decree, no enforcement action, and no new federal prosecution of prison staff. This page collects what the record shows about how oversight fails in Georgia, how the failures are measured, and what the evidence says an actual oversight mechanism would require.
16,182 data points
Parole & Sentencing
Georgia's parole system has contracted sharply over three decades: the Board of Pardons and Paroles released 5,588 people on parole in FY2025, down 42% from 9,455 in FY2019, and its lifer grant rate has fallen from 21.9% in FY2001–FY2006 to roughly 5% today. Average time served on a life sentence for a serious violent felony has risen from under nine years in 1973 to 29.6 years in FY2025 per the Board's own reporting — 31.1 years by GPS's separate count. The result is a system in which parole eligibility at 7, 14, or 30 years increasingly ends in denial, reconsideration up to eight years later, and release for many only at the maximum sentence date.
12,868 data points
Population & Demographics
Georgia holds roughly 53,000 people in state custody — the fourth-largest state prison population in the country — after a decades-long buildup, one pandemic-era collapse, and a rebound that has carried the count back toward its pre-COVID level. Black Georgians are about 31 to 33 percent of the state and 58 to 61 percent of its prisoners, and one in five people in a Georgia prison is serving a life sentence. The series that describe this population do not agree with each other, and Georgia publishes no count at all for some of the people it holds.
11,185 data points
Racial Disparities
Black Georgians are roughly a third of the state's population and well over half of its prisoners, and the gap holds at every measured stage — arrest, charge, plea, sentence, supervision, and exoneration. Georgia's own records show the disparity widest at the deep end: about seven in ten people serving life, and 80 percent of those sentenced to life for offenses committed before age 25. The state's longer record supplies the frame — a late-19th-century convict population that was roughly 90 percent Black against a free population roughly 45 percent Black, and a punishment system that still extracts unpaid labor under a constitutional exception never repealed in Georgia.
2,134 data points
Reform Models & Programs
Georgia operates a statewide cognitive-skills curriculum for parolees, twelve reentry and cognitive programming centers, contracted addiction treatment, step-down units inside its Tier segregation system, and an earned-time credit statute — and the national evidence base for each of those program types is unusually strong. What the record does not contain is current, published, rigorously designed outcome data for most of Georgia's own programs, and the state's direct spending on them amounts to a fraction of one percent of the prison budget. This page sets out what the research verifies, what Georgia actually runs, what it spends, what other states have achieved, and where the evidence stops.
12,091 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
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.'
Why it matters · GPS commentary
Roughly half of everyone on probation in Georgia is on the misdemeanor side, outside state DCS supervision, where much of the oversight is run by private companies rather than the state.
Our reading of the finding above. It is not part of the source.
The finding
Some 80 percent of all misdemeanor probationers in Georgia were estimated by HRW to be supervised by private, for-profit companies as of 2014.
Why it matters · GPS commentary
For most people on misdemeanor probation, the supervisor is a company paid through the fees they owe, so the same party oversees their compliance and collects their money.
Our reading of the finding above. It is not part of the source.
The finding
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.
Why it matters · GPS commentary
Long terms keep people exposed to revocation for years after their risk of reoffending has fallen. Because Georgia does not cap felony probation terms, the law sets no limit on how long that exposure lasts.
Our reading of the finding above. It is not part of the source.
The finding
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.
Why it matters · GPS commentary
Revocations are a main route into Georgia prisons, so the overrepresentation of Black people among those revoked feeds directly into a prison population that is itself disproportionately Black.
Our reading of the finding above. It is not part of the source.All Data Points
86 verified data points extracted from primary sources.
Georgia leads nation in probation rate Statistic
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.'
Georgia felony probation population (2021) Statistic
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).
190,475 people on felony probation vs. 19,771 people on parole
Georgia probation supervision rate per 100,000 (2015) Statistic
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.
5,570 per 100,000 people vs. nearly four times the national average
DCS supervises approximately 180,000-200,000+ felony individuals Statistic
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.'
200,000 felony individuals vs. 180,000 2015 baseline
Total Georgia probation population approaching 420,000 Statistic
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.'
420,000 people on probation (felony + misdemeanor)
1 in 25 Georgia adults under community supervision Statistic
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.
DCS supervised over 265,816 people in 2019 Statistic
In 2019, DCS supervised over 265,816 people.
265,816 people supervised
Georgia probation rate 3,943 per 100,000 (2019) Statistic
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.
3,943 per 100,000 vs. double Texas, four times North Carolina
Georgia probation population decreased 24% since 2011 Trend
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.
BJS reporting structure for Georgia probation is bifurcated Methodology note
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.
Probation system almost equally divided between felony and misdemeanor Finding
Reform Georgia describes the probation system as 'almost equally divided between misdemeanor and felony probation cases.'
648 Georgia courts assigned 250,000+ cases to private probation (2012) Statistic
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.
250,000 cases assigned to private probation vs. 648 courts
80% of misdemeanor probationers supervised by private for-profit companies Statistic
Some 80 percent of all misdemeanor probationers in Georgia were estimated by HRW to be supervised by private, for-profit companies as of 2014.
80%
Average felony probation sentences 6.3 years, near double US average Statistic
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.
6.3 years vs. 37 percent with sentences over 10 years
Average post-prison probation sentence is 13 years Statistic
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.'
13 years vs. 7 probation-only average
Georgia probation term length declined 49% but entries grew 159% Trend
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.
Nearly all DeKalb County probationers jailed for failure to pay are Black Finding
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.'
Augusta has second-highest rate of misdemeanor probation, lowest case-closing rate Finding
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.
DCS created by HB 310 effective July 1, 2015 Legal fact
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.
Steve Queen conflict of interest as Board of Community Supervision Chair Finding
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.
DCS has approximately 2,000 employees Statistic
DCS has approximately 2,000 employees (Commissioner Michael Nail told the Georgia Senate Public Safety Committee in November 2021).
2,000 employees
DCS 2021 budget was $166 million, nearly doubled since 2012 Statistic
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.
$166M vs. 152 Field Services portion
DCS unsupervised cases increased 68%, caseloads dropped 33% Statistic
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.
68% vs. 33 percent decrease in caseload size
Average DCS caseload returned to 132 by 2021 Statistic
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.
132 cases per officer vs. 139 five years prior
Parole supervision cost $3.13 per day vs $80.31 incarceration Statistic
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.
$3.13 vs. 80.3 dollars per inmate per day (GDC)
73% of Georgia parolees successfully completed supervision in FY 2025 Statistic
73 percent of Georgia's parole population successfully completed parole supervision in FY 2025, compared to a national average of approximately 60 percent.
73% vs. 60 national average
Georgia parolee population decreased from 15,105 to 14,568 in FY 2025 Statistic
During FY 2025, the parolee population decreased from 15,105 (July 1, 2024) to 14,568 (June 30, 2025).
14,568 parolees vs. 15,105 start of FY 2025
Private probation companies generate at least $40 million annually in Georgia Statistic
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.
$40M
Sentinel contracted with over 90 Georgia courts Case detail
Sentinel Offender Services once contracted with over 90 Georgia courts. It withdrew from Georgia after litigation; statewide operations were acquired by CSRA in 2017.
CSRA holds contracts in one-third of Georgia's 159 counties (170+ courts) Statistic
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.'
170 courts
Sentinel v. Glover: Tolling of misdemeanor probation prohibited Legal fact
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.
Tom Barrett case: Jailed for $1,000+ in probation fees after stealing $2 can of beer Case detail
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.
Quentone Moore: 52 days in jail because homeless and couldn't install landline for EM Case detail
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.
Van Houston: $4,500 fines/costs on $599/month Social Security Case detail
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.
Thompson v. DeKalb County: $70,000 settlement and bench card reforms Case detail
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.
Bobby Whitworth bribery scandal with Detention Management Services Case detail
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.
Probation revocations were 55% of all Georgia prison admissions (2015) Statistic
Probation revocations made up 55 percent of all prison admissions in Georgia in 2015 — by far the largest single source of GDC admissions.
55%
267,514 individuals supervised by DCS in 2019 Statistic
267,514 individuals were supervised by DCS in 2019.
267,514 individuals supervised
26,409 probation revocations (9.87% of supervised) in 2019 Statistic
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.
26,409 revocations vs. 9.9 percent of supervised population
7,506 probationers revoked to state prison in 2019 Statistic
7,506 individuals were revoked to state prison in 2019, accounting for 7,617 revocations (111 had multiple revocations).
7,506 individuals revoked to prison
68.5% of prison revocations for new offenses, 15.4% for technical violations Statistic
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.
68.5% vs. 15.4 percent for technical violations
Only 0.44% of supervised population revoked to prison for technical violations Statistic
Only 0.44 percent of the supervised population was revoked to prison for technical violations in 2019.
0.4%
Georgia saw 44% decrease in supervision violation admissions (2018-2023) Trend
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.
Nationally, supervision violations were 44% of state prison admissions (2021) Statistic
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.
44%
Nearly 200,000 people admitted to prison for supervision violations in 2023 Statistic
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.
200,000 people admitted nationally for supervision violations vs. 10 billion dollars spent
Technical violation revocation limited to 120 days Legal fact
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.'
Source
No pre-hearing arrest warrant for failure to pay alone Legal fact
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.
Source
Monthly probation supervision fees $35-$40 plus additional testing fees Finding
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.
Private probation companies treat revenues as trade secrets Data gap
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.
34 jurisdictions nationally require supervision fees ranging $170-$917 annually Statistic
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.
Pay-only probation converts probation into debt collection Finding
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.
Bearden v. Georgia: Cannot imprison for inability to pay without inquiry Legal fact
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.
Systematic failure to apply Bearden ability-to-pay inquiry in Georgia courts Finding
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.
Black people incarcerated at 5.2 times higher rate than White people nationally Statistic
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.
5.2x times higher rate
Black probationers comprise 61-67% of prison revocations in Georgia Statistic
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.
Augusta for-profit probation disproportionately burdens Black and Latinx residents Finding
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.'
90.13% of supervised felony probationers had no revocation in 2019 Statistic
90.13 percent of supervised felony probationers had no probation revocation in 2019.
90.1%
50,000 people in Georgia supervised over 2 years despite recidivism risk halving Finding
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.
National recidivism rates declining: 77% (2005 cohort) to 70% (2012 cohort) Trend
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.
BID usage only 15.6% of eligible cases over first three fiscal years Statistic
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.
15.6%
Act 226 (2017) created the Behavioral Incentive Date (BID) Policy
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.
Act 226 codified graduated sanctions for technical violations Policy
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.
Adam Gelb quote: Counterproductive to have so many under supervision Quote
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.'
LaGrange Police Chief: System created significant public safety concerns Quote
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.'
DCS Commissioner Nail credits graduated sanctions and risk-based practices Quote
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.'
ACLU's Nusrat Choudhury: Thompson settlement is a model Quote
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.'
Attorney Jack Long: Tolling issue affects tens of thousands of warrants Quote
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.'
Sarah Geraghty: Courts need to ensure private companies operate within law Quote
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.'
County-level revocation data is limited and fragmentary Data gap
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.
DCS revocation framing counts only prison revocations, not jail Methodology note
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.
Racial disparities in revocations lack comprehensive Georgia-specific data Data gap
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.
Georgia does not cap felony probation terms Finding
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.
CSRA self-reports 85% probation success rate Statistic
CSRA Probation Services self-reports an 85 percent 'success rate' for probationers completing their terms.
85%
JCS probably collects over $1 million annually from DeKalb County alone Statistic
HRW estimated JCS 'probably collects over $1 million in annual revenues from probationers in that one court alone' in DeKalb County.
$1M
Urban Institute: Probation supervision is important fork in the road for disparities Finding
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.'
Reform Georgia calls for ban on private probation and probation term caps Policy
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.
GBPI recommends capping court fine/fee revenue at 10% of locality budget Policy
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.
DCS newly available data allowed tracking of racial disparities Finding
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.'
Sentinel v. Glover: Private probation statute constitutional Legal fact
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.
Sentinel v. Glover: Electronic monitoring authorized for misdemeanors Legal fact
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.
Sentinel v. Glover: Columbia County contract invalid Legal fact
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.
Georgia private probation industry originated from 1991-1992 legislation Finding
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.
One in four Sentinel ankle monitors were faulty (Los Angeles County audit) Case detail
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.
HB 328 (2015) extended parole eligibility for drug recidivists Legal fact
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.
2021 early termination eligibility requirements Policy
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.
Arizona probation reforms: $392 million averted costs, 29% decline in revocations Statistic
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.
$392M vs. 29 percent decline in revocations
Sources
55 cited sources backing this research.
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Official report
Secondary
Official report
Primary
Legal document
Secondary
Legal document
Secondary
Legal document
Secondary
Official report
Key Entities
Organizations, people, facilities, and other named entities referenced in this research.
ACLU
[organization]
Act 226
[legislation]
Adam Gelb
[person]
Bearden v. Georgia
[case]
Board of Community Supervision
[organization]
Bobby Whitworth
[person]
Bureau of Justice Statistics
[organization]
Chris Albin-Lackey
[person]
Community Corrections Association of Georgia
[organization]
Council on Criminal Justice
[organization]
CSG Justice Center
[organization]
CSRA Probation Services
[organization]
Danny Bearden
[person]
Detention Management Services
[organization]
Fines and Fees Justice Center
[organization]
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
[organization]
Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform
[organization]
Georgia Department of Community Supervision
[organization]
Georgia Department of Corrections
[organization]
Georgia Justice Project
[organization]
Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
[organization]
HB 310
[legislation]
HB 328
[legislation]
Human Rights Watch
[organization]
Integrity Supervision Services
[organization]
Jack Long
[person]
Judicial Correction Services
[organization]
Kevin Thompson
[person]
Lou Dekmar
[person]
Michael Nail
[person]
Mike Popplewell
[person]
Nathan Deal
[person]
Nusrat Choudhury
[person]
Prison Policy Initiative
[organization]
Providence Community Corrections
[organization]
Quentone Moore
[person]
Reform Georgia
[organization]
Sarah Geraghty
[person]
Sarah K.S. Shannon
[person]
Sentinel Offender Services
[organization]
Sentinel Offender Services v. Glover
[case]
Southern Center for Human Rights
[organization]
Steve Queen
[person]
The Pew Charitable Trusts
[organization]
Thompson v. DeKalb County
[case]
Tom Barrett
[person]
Urban Institute
[organization]
Van Houston
[person]