A Second Chance for Georgia: Fixing Parole With the Reform It Desperately Needs

In 2025, Georgia lawmakers had a chance to deliver real change to the state’s broken parole system. Senate Bill 25 (SB25) was introduced with bold ideas: parole hearings, written decisions, and accountability. But despite early momentum, SB25 never made it out of committee. The bill stalled—and so did the hope of thousands of incarcerated Georgians who have been trapped in a system that refuses to offer a real path to redemption.

But we’re not giving up. In 2026, we need to push harder. And this time, we need to go even further. Georgia needs what we’re calling the Second Chance Parole Reform Act—a more complete, more transparent, more humane parole system. (#2ndChanceParoleReform)

Why Georgia’s Parole System Is Failing

Georgia’s parole process is opaque, arbitrary, and broken by design. Inmates are considered for parole behind closed doors, often with no hearing, no opportunity to speak, and no explanation when denied.

Even those with life-with-parole sentences are waiting 30, 40, sometimes 50 years or more to be released—if they’re ever released at all. Many die in prison long after they’ve transformed. As one man wrote from behind bars:

“My roommate had done 41 years. No DRs in 30. After receiving yet another set-off from the parole board – he just gave up. He stopped talking and started sleeping all the time. He died at 59, not from violence, but from hopelessness. The state decided to punish him until the day he died.”

In 2024 alone, Georgia saw 332 deaths in custody, including over 100 confirmed homicides. Suicides and medical neglect took many more. Inmates are dying from despair, and the parole board holds the key—but refuses to open the door ¹.

What SB25 Tried to Do

• Allowed parole-eligible inmates to request a video hearing before the full board
• Required written reasons when parole was denied or delayed
• Mandated notice to all board members if a parole denial was imminent
• Made these steps legally enforceable through mandamus

It was a strong step toward fairness and transparency—but we may only get one chance to get this right, so here’s what we propose:

The Second Chance Parole Reform Act

Here’s how we improve the broken parole system in a meaningful and fail way, using examples from other states:

1. Presumptive Parole: Grant parole automatically to those who meet defined benchmarks (good behavior, completed programs, reentry plan)—unless there’s clear cause not to.

2. Clear, Written Parole Criteria: Require the parole board to publish a list of actions inmates can take to increase their chances. Tell people what they need to do to earn release.

3. Guaranteed Hearings with Full Board: Every parole-eligible inmate should get a video or in-person hearing with the full board, with a transcript available.

4. Written Reasons for Denial: Require fact-based, detailed explanations every time parole is denied, citing specific program needs or behavioral concerns.

5. Shorter Reconsideration Intervals: Limit parole deferrals to three years maximum—or one year for elderly or terminally ill prisoners.

6. Individualized Parole Plans: Every inmate should receive a parole case plan upon entering prison, showing what they need to complete.

7. Annual Public Report: Require the parole board to publish data on grant rates, reasons for denials, and departures from guidelines.

8. Balanced Victim Input: Ensure victim statements are weighed alongside risk assessments, rehabilitation progress, and expert input.

9. Independent Oversight: Create a parole ombudsman or inspector general to review denials and investigate inconsistencies.

10. Fast-Track for Geriatric or Medical Parole: Require decisions within 30 days for terminally ill or elderly inmates.

Why This Matters Now

Georgia’s parole board claims it uses guidelines to determine who gets released—but the reality is, those guidelines are suggestions, not rules. Inmates who do everything right—stay charge-free, complete programs, get support letters—are still routinely denied with no explanation.

The current law (O.C.G.A. § 42-9-45(a)) requires the parole board to establish clear eligibility standards. But it does not require them to explain how someone actually earns parole. That’s the loophole. And that’s what we need to close.

To date, courts have sided with the board, ruling that inmates have no right to parole—only the right to be considered. But “considered” is meaningless if the board refuses to explain itself, ignores its own guidelines, and locks people away for life despite rehabilitation.

This is how we end up with:

• People doing 40+ years on life-with-parole sentences
• People dying in prison after decades of good behavior
• Hundreds of deaths a year with no accountability
• A prison system that is over-crowded and unsafe

The lack of parole is directly tied to the crisis of violence, hopelessness, and overcrowding in Georgia’s prisons. If we want to fix that, we start by letting people go—especially the elderly, the sick, and those who’ve clearly changed.

Related Reading

If you want to understand the full scope of this crisis, read these:

• Decarceration: A Solution to Georgia’s Prison Crisis

• Guilty Until Proven Innocent

• Nutrition Neglect: How Georgia’s Prison Food Is Fueling Violence

• Invisible Scars

• Separate Gangs, Save Lives

What You Can Do

The Second Chance Parole Reform Act won’t pass unless we demand it. Use ImpactJustice.AI to email your legislators, the parole board, and the media. Tell them you support #2ndChanceParoleReform.

No one should die in prison because a system refused to listen.

It’s time to open the door.

Read the proposed legislation:

1. https://gps.press/gdc-mortality-statistics/#2024-mortality[↩]