#EndMassIncarceration Archives

Sheqweetta Vaughan’s Death at Arrendale Prison: Another Tragedy of Neglect in Georgia

On July 9, 2025, Sheqweetta Vaughan, a 32-year-old mother incarcerated at Lee Arrendale State Prison in Georgia, was found dead in her cell. By the time staff discovered her, her body was already decomposing. Her death is not only a tragedy—it’s a stark indictment of the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) and how it treats …

📢 The FCC wants to allow prison cell phone jammers. In Georgia’s understaffed prisons, phones aren’t just contraband—they’re lifelines that save lives. Families must speak NOW.

Read why and how to contact the FCC to voice your opinion

Record Every Call: How to Expose Contempt and Abuse

When Georgia families call the GDC, they’re often ignored, belittled, or cursed at — and left in the dark about whether their loved one was stabbed, hospitalized, or even died. Georgia is a one-party consent state. Record every call. Show the world how GDC treats families.

The Hidden Violence in Georgia’s Prisons: Beyond the Death Toll

For every person killed in Georgia’s prisons, as many as 12 to 18 others are stabbed, slashed, or beaten so severely they require hospitalization. In 2024, that means nearly 1,200 men and women left with permanent scars, organ loss, or lifelong trauma — violence the state never counts.

Slavery by Another Name: Forced Labor in Georgia Prisons

Prisoner planting crops at Georgia prison, inmates in orange uniform working outdoors, highlighting issues of incarceration and forced labor in Georgia, Georgia Prisoners' Speak.

Slavery never ended in Georgia—it just changed names. Today, thousands of incarcerated people are forced to work for free sustaining state agencies and private corporations under threat of punishment. This is slavery by another name.

Why Georgia Hasn’t Had Its Attica—Yet

Inmate speech at Georgia prison highlighting issues related to detention, incarceration, and prisoner rights.

Despite horrific conditions, Georgia’s prisons haven’t erupted like Attica—yet. Fear, fragmentation, and surveillance suppress rebellion, but pressure is building. This exposé examines why no major uprising has happened, and what must change before one does.

Unconstitutional: Georgia’s Extrajudicial Punishment

When judges hand down prison sentences, the punishment is supposed to match the crime. But in Georgia, the real sentence isn’t what’s on paper—it’s what happens behind the walls: violence, medical neglect, and trauma that far exceed what the law allows. This isn’t just a moral crisis. It’s a constitutional one.

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

Inmate standing outside a prison door labeled "Second Chance Parole Reform" with floating lottery tickets, symbolizing hope and redemption for incarcerated individuals seeking parole and reform.

Georgia’s parole system is failing—and people are dying behind bars after serving 30, 40, even 50 years with no path to release. In 2026, lawmakers have a chance to fix it. We call it the Second Chance Parole Reform Act. Here’s what needs to change—and how you can help.

How a Simple Tool Is Helping Georgians Fight Back: Impact Justice AI

Impact Justice AI is helping Georgians fight back against injustice in prisons—one email at a time. Learn how this powerful advocacy tool works and why over 15,000 messages have already been sent to lawmakers, parole board members, and the media.

Caught in the Gears: The Ordeal of Jason Palmer and Georgia’s Ongoing Crisis of Justice

Inmate speaking during a court hearing with media cameras capturing the testimony, highlighting issues of justice and prison reform.

Jason Palmer’s conviction for murder in Camden County is riddled with red flags: no evidence, a conflicted juror, a rushed verdict, and inhumane prison conditions. His story exposes how Georgia’s criminal justice system still fails the innocent, and why ongoing reform is so urgent.