Georgia’s 2026 legislative session could finally bring transparency and fairness to parole. With SB 25 and the new *Second Chance Parole Reform Act of 2026*, advocates are demanding written explanations, video hearings, and real opportunities for release. Learn how families can act now and use Impact Justice AI to push lawmakers for change.
For many families in Georgia, having a loved one behind bars doesn’t mean only missing birthdays and phone calls—it means chronic financial strain. A new national study finds that families who provide direct support to incarcerated relatives spend on average 6 % of their household income each month just to cover direct costs like commissary items, hygiene products and phone calls. 
When that national figure meets the realities inside Georgia’s prison system—sky-high commissary mark‐ups, inadequate meals that force reliance on overpriced snacks—the results are devastating.
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 …
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.
