Georgia Spent $700 Million More on Prisons. Every Outcome Got Worse.
Georgia spent $700 million more on prisons since 2022. Deaths went up, guards quit, buildings crumbled. Here’s what the money bought — and what it didn’t.
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Georgia’s Prison Staffing Collapse: $600 Million in Proposed Spending Cannot Fix a System Hemorrhaging Officers and Lives
Georgia’s 52.5% correctional officer vacancy rate — worst in the nation — has driven a sevenfold increase in prison homicides. $600M in proposed spending cannot fix what recruitment alone cannot solve.
Georgia Spends $1.5 Billion Annually on a Prison System the DOJ Says Makes People Worse: An Advocacy Toolkit
Georgia spends $1.48 billion on prisons and $172,000 on vocational education. The DOJ found people ‘leave prison worse than when they came in.’ Here’s how to use this research to demand change.
Georgia Spends $1.48 Billion on Incarceration and $172,000 on Vocational Education: The Fiscal and Human Cost of Reentry Failure
Georgia spends $1.48B on prisons but just $172,000 on vocational education. The DOJ found people “leave prison worse than when they came in.” The true recidivism rate approaches 50%.
Georgia Traded $82 Million in Federal Grants for a $40–50 Billion Corrections Bill — and Got No Measurable Public Safety Benefit
Georgia accepted $82M in federal TIS grants and incurred $40–50B in corrections costs — a 1:500 ratio — while academic consensus shows near-zero crime reduction from increased incarceration since 2000.
The $40 Billion Trap: How Georgia’s Truth in Sentencing Laws Cost Taxpayers 500 Times the Federal Grant That Created Them
Georgia accepted $82.2M in federal TIS grants and incurred $40–50B in corrections costs — a 500-to-1 ratio. Academic consensus shows these laws produce near-zero crime reduction.
Georgia’s Prison Spending Surge: A $500 Million Escalation That Ignores the People Inside
Georgia’s prison budget surged 44%—nearly $500 million—since FY2022, yet incarcerated people still face $5 medical co-pays, forced unpaid labor, and $10M+ in annual fee extraction.
Georgia Spends $1.8 Billion on Corrections While Expanding Private Prisons and Surveillance — Not People
Georgia’s $1.8 billion corrections budget reveals the state’s priorities: $13.4M for surveillance technology, 263 new private prison beds, and just $150,000 for rehabilitation programming.
Georgia’s Prison Healthcare Crisis: $85 Million in Annual Costs, Unconstitutional Care, and 330 Deaths in 2024
DOJ finds Georgia prison healthcare “unconstitutional.” 330 people died in 2024 while spending hit $72M. Aging population drives $85M annual burden. Evidence-based reforms could save tens of millions.
Georgia’s Prison Staffing Crisis: Nearly 50% of Corrections Officer Positions Vacant as the State Fails to Protect 52,000 People in Its Custody
Georgia operates its prisons at nearly 50% corrections officer vacancy. The DOJ found this leaves people unsupervised and enables gang control. The Governor seeks $600M+ to respond.