GDC Statistics

Why These Numbers Matter

Statistics aren’t just measurements — they’re indicators of systemic health and moral direction.

When the number of lifers grows each year, it signals longer sentences and fewer second chances.

When chronic care and mental health cases climb, it points to a collapsing medical infrastructure.

And when thousands of people remain in close or high-security confinement, it highlights a system focused more on control than rehabilitation.

These numbers matter because they shape the lives of 50,000 Georgians behind bars — and define what justice means for millions more on the outside. Understanding them is the first step toward fixing a system that has grown unsustainable, unaffordable, and unaccountable.

Crisis in Numbers — The Truth Behind Georgia’s “7,535 Murderers”

Georgia reports 7,535 people in prison for “murder,” but that number hides the truth. Under Georgia’s broad felony-murder and “party to a crime” laws, as many as 3,000 of these men and women never killed anyone at all — they were convicted because someone else committed a homicide during a chaotic moment, a robbery, or a drug deal gone wrong. And based on national wrongful-conviction data from the Innocence Project, an estimated 450 of the people Georgia labels as “murderers” are actually innocent of the crime entirely. When politicians use that word to justify harsh policies, they want you to picture cold-blooded killers. The reality is far more complicated — and far more disturbing.

Learn More: Understanding Georgia’s Prison Crisis

Explore how the numbers translate into human stories, policy failures, and opportunities for reform:

Mortality & Violence

• Lethal Negligence: The Hidden Death Toll in Georgia’s Prisons — How systemic neglect and underreporting mask the real scope of inmate deaths.
• Georgia Prison Deaths: A Growing Crisis in 2025 — 42 suspected homicides in just six months—what’s driving the surge in violence.
• How Staffing Shortages Endanger Inmate Safety — With 44% of officer positions filled, violence and chaos fill the void.

Parole & Sentencing

• Georgia Parole System: A Comprehensive Analysis — From 12.5 years to 31 years: how parole for lifers was systematically dismantled.
• Truth in Sentencing Broke Parole. Georgia Is Paying the Price. — How a 1994 policy created a $40 billion constitutional crisis.
• Georgia’s $86/Day Prison Crisis: The Hidden Cost of Shadow Sentencing — The parole board quietly extended sentences—and taxpayers foot the bill.

Economic Exploitation

• Georgia’s Prison Commissary Extortion — Convenience store rejects sold at 400-900% markups, extracting $47 million annually.
• The Price of Love: How Georgia’s Prisons Bleed Families Dry — Families spend 6% of household income just to keep loved ones fed.

Food & Medical Neglect

• Starved and Silenced: The Hidden Crisis Inside Georgia Prisons — How chronic food deprivation fuels violence and desperation.
• Federal Nutrition Guidelines vs. Georgia Prison Food Reality — 300% of recommended sodium, zero essential vitamins—a recipe for chronic disease.

Individual Stories

• Buried Truth: The Story of Roy Mason Morris — One man’s death exposes the deep failures of Georgia’s prison healthcare system.
• Left for Dead: The Tragic Story of Jamie Shahan — Inside a system where medical neglect and violence go unchecked.

Reform & Action

• A Second Chance for Georgia: Fixing Parole With the Reform It Desperately Needs — The ten-point plan to restore fairness to Georgia’s parole system.
• 2026 Georgia Candidates on Prison and Parole Reform — Where the candidates stand on the issues that matter.
• Your Rights and the GDC’s Responsibilities — A must-read guide for families seeking answers after an inmate’s death.