Georgia Spent $700 Million More on Prisons—Deaths Tripled, Staffing Collapsed
Georgia increased its prison budget by $700 million over four years, yet homicides rose from 8-9 annually to 100 in 2024, staffing remains 50-76% vacant, and the system was declared unconstitutional by the DOJ. Between FY 2022 and FY 2026, Georgia added $700 million to its corrections budget—the fastest spending growth in agency history—yet prison …