Georgia’s prisons are killing people who should survive. Suicide rates climb while mental health care collapses. Overcrowded cells. Understaffed units. People in crisis left without intervention. The Department of Justice found unconstitutional conditions—and suicides are among the most preventable deaths the state refuses to prevent. 1
The Death Toll
GPS has documented 1,682 deaths in Georgia custody since 2020. Suicides represent a significant portion—deaths that could have been prevented with adequate mental health care:
- 333 deaths in 2024 alone
- Average age at death: 52.1 years — decades below Georgia’s life expectancy
- Overcrowded facilities — Triple bunking creates constant stress
- No privacy — Mental health deteriorates without space to decompress
Each suicide reflects systemic failure. People in crisis sent signals the system ignored. 2
Why Prevention Fails
Georgia’s prisons lack basic suicide prevention infrastructure:
- Insufficient mental health staff — Too few professionals for 50,250 prisoners
- Undertrained officers — Staff lack crisis intervention skills
- Poor screening — At-risk individuals aren’t identified at intake
- Dangerous design — Facilities contain structural hazards
- No follow-up — People flagged as at-risk receive inadequate monitoring
The state knows these problems exist. The DOJ documented them. Georgia refuses to invest in solutions. 3
What Works Elsewhere
Evidence-based suicide prevention requires:
- Mental health staffing — Adequate professionals for the population
- 24/7 crisis response — Available intervention at all hours
- Staff training — Officers who can recognize warning signs and de-escalate
- Safer design — Removing structural hazards, improving visibility
- Reduced overcrowding — Eliminate triple bunking that increases stress
These interventions save lives. Georgia spends $1.5 billion on corrections annually. The money exists. The will doesn’t.
The Broader Mental Health Crisis
Suicide is the most visible symptom of a mental health system in collapse:
- People with mental illness incarcerated instead of treated
- Conditions worsen inside instead of improving
- Medications inconsistent — Supply chain failures and staff shortages
- Solitary confinement — Used punitively despite known psychological harm
Georgia’s prisons function as mental health facilities of last resort—without the staff, training, or resources to provide mental health care.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding mental health investment in Georgia prisons. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Demand:
- Adequate mental health staffing at all facilities
- Mandatory crisis intervention training for officers
- Elimination of triple bunking
- Independent oversight of suicide prevention programs
If you’re concerned about someone in Georgia custody, report your safety concerns through GPS.
Further Reading
- Cruel and Unusual Dentistry: Inside Georgia’s Prison Dental Crisis
- $700 Million More—And Nothing to Show for It
- GPS Informational Resources
- Pathways to Success
About Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS)
Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS) is a nonprofit investigative newsroom built in partnership with incarcerated reporters, families, advocates, and data analysts. Operating independently from the Georgia Department of Corrections, GPS documents the truth the state refuses to acknowledge: extreme violence, fatal medical neglect, gang-controlled dorms, collapsed staffing, fraudulent reporting practices, and unconstitutional conditions across Georgia’s prisons.
Through confidential reporting channels, secure communication, evidence verification, public-records requests, legislative research, and professional investigative standards, GPS provides the transparency the system lacks. Our mission is to expose abuses, protect incarcerated people, support families, and push Georgia toward meaningful reform based on human rights, evidence, and public accountability.
Every article is part of a larger fight — to end the silence, reveal the truth, and demand justice.
