Georgia Spends $1.1 Billion Extra Annually on Shadow Sentencing by Parole Board

Georgia is spending over $1 billion annually in additional incarceration costs because the State Board of Pardons and Paroles has quietly extended prison stays by an average of one year compared to a decade ago, despite no changes in sentencing laws.

Georgia prisoners now serve an average of 5.00 years before release compared to 3.94 years in 2014—a 27% increase that costs taxpayers over $1 billion annually in additional incarceration expenses. This shadow sentencing system operates through unwritten parole policies that extend prison stays without legislative approval, public oversight, or written justification.

What GPS Documented (Original Findings)

• Average time served by Georgia prisoners increased from 3.94 years in 2014 to 5.00 years in 2023—a 27% increase (GPS analysis of GDC's Length of Stay report tracking average time served by people released each calendar year)
• People with sentences of 10-15 years went from serving an average of 4.67 years in 2014 to 6.77 years in 2023—a 45% increase (GPS analysis of GDC Length of Stay report, specific sentence categories)
• Extended prison stays cost Georgia taxpayers over $1 billion annually at $86.61 per person per day (GPS calculation using Georgia Department of Corrections' FY2024 cost allocation report)
• Starting in the late 1990s, the Georgia Parole Board sharply curtailed its use of clemency on its own volition, especially for violent and sex crimes (GPS analysis of GDC senior researcher Timothy Carr's 2008 internal report)
• Georgia collected $82 million in federal funds between 1996 and 2001 specifically for adopting truth-in-sentencing changes (GPS analysis of Bureau of Justice Assistance VOITIS Report)

Data source: GPS analysis of GDC reports, federal documents, and internal GDC research

What DOJ Already Confirmed

• Georgia prisons violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment (Pages DOJ Findings Report)
• Inmates face substantial risk of serious harm from violence (Pages DOJ Findings Report)
• The state has failed to protect people in its custody from assault, rape, and murder (Pages DOJ Findings Report)
• Understaffing has reached crisis levels—some facilities operated with fewer than half the officers needed (Pages DOJ Findings Report)
• Gangs effectively control housing units because there aren't enough guards to maintain order (Pages DOJ Findings Report)

What GDC Concealed

• The Parole Board changed its clemency practices in the late 1990s without legislative mandate or public announcement
• Current criteria the Parole Board uses to determine release decisions are not publicly documented
• The fiscal impact of extended prison stays—over $1 billion annually—has not been reported to the legislature or public

Quotables

“Starting in the late 1990's, on its own volition, the Georgia Parole Board has sharply curtailed its use of clemency, especially for violent and sex crimes.”

— Timothy Carr, GDC senior researcher, 2008 internal report

“Georgia is spending over a billion dollars annually to keep people incarcerated longer than it did ten years ago—with nothing to show for it but more violence, more deaths, and a federal finding of unconstitutional conditions.”

— Georgia Prisoners' Speak analysis

Story Angles

• Local: Calculate the cost impact on individual counties—how much extra are taxpayers in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb paying for extended prison stays?
• Policy: Follow SB25 in the legislature—will lawmakers address the $1 billion annual cost of shadow sentencing?
• Accountability: Track down current and former Parole Board members who made the policy changes without legislative approval
• Data: Request 10 years of parole data to quantify the denial rate increases and calculate exact fiscal impact by facility

Records Journalists Should Request

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. GDC Length of Stay by Calendar Year Report — Georgia Department of Corrections
2. GDC FY2024 Cost Per Day Consolidated Summary — Georgia Department of Corrections
3. Truth in Sentencing in Georgia (Timothy S. Carr, PhD, 2008) — Georgia Department of Corrections
4. State Board of Pardons and Paroles Annual Reports — Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
5. Parole Board Decision-Making Guidelines and Policies — Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles

Federal FOIA:

1. Georgia VOITIS Grant Compliance Reports and Audits — DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance

Sources Available for Interview

Experts:

• Timothy Carr — Former GDC senior researcher

Officials Who Should Be Asked for Comment

• Brian Kemp, Governor — Appoints Parole Board members and oversees GDC budget
• Current GDC Commissioner, Commissioner — Oversees prison operations and cost reporting; can explain budget impact of extended stays
• Current Parole Board Members, Board Members (5 total) — Decision-makers responsible for parole policy changes that created additional costs
• Timothy Carr, Former Senior Researcher — Authored 2008 internal report documenting parole policy changes

Questions GDC Has Not Answered

1. Why did the Parole Board change its clemency practices in the late 1990s without legislative mandate?
2. What criteria does the Parole Board currently use to determine release decisions?
3. Why have parole denial rates increased dramatically without policy changes?
4. Has the state analyzed the fiscal impact of extended prison stays on the budget?

Source Documents

• Bureau of Justice Assistance VOITIS Report — Federal report documenting $82 million in truth-in-sentencing grants to Georgia
• DOJ Findings Report on Georgia Prisons — October 2024 DOJ report finding constitutional violations in Georgia state prisons