Banned to Be Silent: How Georgia’s Prison Technology Crackdown Protects Power, Not Safety

Georgia spends $50 million annually fighting cell phones while half of correctional officer positions sit vacant. 82.7% of new hires quit within a year. The priorities are backwards. https://gps.press/banned-to-be-silent-how-georgias-prison-technology-crackdown-prote...

Georgia spends $50 million every year trying to stop contraband cell phones in prisons. Meanwhile, 50% of correctional officer positions remain unfilled, and 82.7% of new hires quit within their first year. Prison homicides nearly tripled in 2024 to over 100 deaths. The Department of Justice has declared Georgia's prison system unconstitutional, yet the state continues prioritizing technology crackdowns over basic staffing and safety. What does it tell you about a system's priorities when it spends more energy silencing prisoners than protecting them?

Georgia allocated $50 million to fight contraband cell phones while half of all correctional officer positions remain vacant. The result: 82.7% of new hires quit within a year, and prison homicides nearly tripled to over 100 in 2024. The DOJ has declared the system unconstitutional, yet Georgia continues prioritizing control over transparency and profit over human safety. #GeorgiaPrisons #PrisonReform #CriminalJustice #GPS #MassIncarceration #Georgia

New GPS investigation reveals the misplaced priorities driving Georgia's prison crisis. While the state allocates $50 million annually to combat contraband cell phones, 50% of correctional officer positions remain unfilled. Staff turnover has reached crisis levels, with 82.7% of new hires leaving within their first year. The human cost is stark: prison homicides nearly tripled in 2024 to over 100 deaths. Despite a DOJ finding that conditions violate the Constitution, Georgia continues emphasizing technology restrictions over fundamental staffing and safety reforms. This approach protects institutional power while failing the basic mandate of public safety.