Georgia Secretly Packs Close Security Inmates Into Medium Prisons, Death Rates Soar

Four Georgia medium security prisons are secretly housing 28-30% close security inmates—10 times the normal rate—creating deadly conditions that have produced 4-5 times more homicides than properly classified facilities.

GPS analysis of GDC population data reveals four medium security prisons have been quietly transformed into de facto close security facilities, housing 455-545 close security inmates each. This classification mismatch violates GDC policies, contradicts DOJ findings, and has created homicide rates 4-5 times higher than properly classified medium security facilities.

Facility Breakdown

What GPS Documented (Original Findings)

• Dooly State Prison houses 455 close security inmates, representing 28.6% of its population (GPS analysis of GDC population data obtained via open records request, October 2025)
• Wilcox State Prison houses 545 close security inmates (29.7%), Calhoun houses 487 (29.4%), Washington houses 418 (27.7%) (GPS analysis of GDC population data obtained via open records request, October 2025)
• Other medium security facilities in Georgia maintain close security populations between 0% and 3% (GPS analysis of GDC population data)
• Darrow Brown, 58, was stabbed to death on November 7, 2025 at Dooly State Prison by a Crip gang member after accidentally bumping into another inmate (GDC inmate records and witness accounts from Dooly State Prison inmates)
• GDC stopped reporting causes of death in March 2024 (GPS analysis of GDC mortality reports)

Data source: GPS analysis of GDC Monthly Reports and family interviews

What DOJ Already Confirmed

• Between January 2022 and April 2023, DOJ documented more than 1,400 violent incidents across GDC’s close- and medium-security prisons (Pages Available in full report)
• GDC’s classification and housing systems do not function properly and do not enforce classification housing assignments (Pages Available in full report)
• GDC systematically misclassifies homicides as ‘unknown’ or ‘undetermined’ causes of death (Pages Available in full report)
• Systemwide correctional officer vacancy rates above 50% (Pages Available in full report)

What GDC Concealed

• GDC stopped reporting causes of death in March 2024, making it impossible to track homicides publicly
• Four facilities operating as de facto close security prisons without proper classification or staffing
• Deputy Warden Hudson and Captain Nicholson received warning calls day before Zeary Davis murder but took no action

Quotables

“GDC’s mortality data categorizes many deaths that obviously were homicides as having an unknown reason or unknown verified cause of death”

— U.S. Department of Justice, October 2024 report

“These weren’t fist fights. It was shanks and machetes everywhere. When it kicked off, officers ran. We were on our own. It was a blood bath—literally, blood was squirting out of people.”

— Witness to September 12 Dooly riot

“GDC’s classification and housing systems expose incarcerated persons to an unreasonable risk of violence”

— U.S. Department of Justice, October 2024 report

Story Angles

• Local: Focus on families from specific counties who lost loved ones in these facilities – particularly Darrow Brown’s family and the impact on rural Georgia communities
• Policy: Examine the cost of housing close security inmates in medium facilities without proper staffing – $383,000 in medical costs from one riot alone
• Accountability: Investigate which officials knew about the classification mismatch and failed to act, including Deputy Warden Hudson and Captain Nicholson who ignored murder warnings
• Data: Request historical population data to track when this crisis began and analyze the correlation between classification mismatches and violence rates across all Georgia facilities

Records Journalists Should Request

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. Monthly Population Reports by Security Classification — Georgia Department of Corrections
2. Monthly Mortality Reports — Georgia Department of Corrections
3. Incident Reports for November 7, 2025 – Dooly State Prison — Georgia Department of Corrections
4. Incident Reports for September 12, 2024 – Dooly State Prison — Georgia Department of Corrections
5. Correctional Officer Staffing Reports — Georgia Department of Corrections

Federal FOIA:

1. DOJ Civil Rights Division investigation files on Georgia prisons — DOJ Civil Rights Division

Sources Available for Interview

Families:

• Family of Darrow Brown
• Family of Joshua Parrott
• Family of Horacio Philmore
• Family of Zeary Davis

Incarcerated Witnesses:

• Incarcerated witness to September 12, 2024 Dooly riot
• Multiple incarcerated witnesses to recent homicides

Experts:

• Available through GPS — Prison classification experts

Officials Who Should Be Asked for Comment

• Deputy Warden Hudson, Deputy Warden — Received warning call day before Zeary Davis murder, took no action
• Captain Nicholson, Captain — Received warning call day before Zeary Davis murder, took no action
• Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner — Would have authority to approve classification policies creating this crisis
• Brian Kemp, Governor — Ultimate authority over GDC operations and budget

Questions GDC Has Not Answered

1. When did this start? How long have these four facilities been operating with 28-30% close security populations?
2. Why these four? What criteria did GDC use to select Dooly, Wilcox, Calhoun, and Washington for this dangerous experiment?
3. Where’s the staffing? If these facilities are effectively operating as close security, why haven’t they received close security staffing levels and protocols?
4. Who approved this? Did the GDC Commissioner sign off on housing close security inmates in medium facilities at rates 10 times higher than other facilities?
5. What’s the plan? Does GDC intend to fix this classification mismatch, or will it continue indefinitely?

Source Documents

• DOJ Investigation of Georgia Prisons Report — Federal investigation documenting systematic failures in Georgia’s prison system
• GDC Monthly Population Reports — Official population data showing security classification by facility
• GDC Monthly Mortality Reports — Death reports that stopped including causes of death in March 2024