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

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 — Source: 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 — Source: 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 — Source: 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 — Source: 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 — Source: 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

Source: DOJ Findings Report, October 1, 2024
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-georgia-s-state-prisons-violate-constitution

RECORDS JOURNALISTS SHOULD REQUEST

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. "GDC Length of Stay by Calendar Year Report"
   Annual statistics on average time served by people released from Georgia prisons, broken down by sentence length categories
   Agency: Georgia Department of Corrections
   Date range: 2014-2024
   Expected response: 3-5 business days; minimal fee expected
2. "GDC FY2024 Cost Per Day Consolidated Summary"
   Official cost allocation report showing daily cost to house one person in Georgia state prison
   Agency: Georgia Department of Corrections
   Date range: FY2024
   Expected response: 3-5 business days; minimal fee expected
3. "Truth in Sentencing in Georgia (Timothy S. Carr, PhD, 2008)"
   Internal GDC research report documenting parole policy changes in the late 1990s
   Agency: Georgia Department of Corrections
   Date range: 2008
   Expected response: 5-10 business days; may require fee for copying
4. "State Board of Pardons and Paroles Annual Reports"
   Annual statistics on parole decisions, denial rates, and board activities
   Agency: Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
   Date range: 2014-2024
   Expected response: 3-5 business days; minimal fee expected
5. "Parole Board Decision-Making Guidelines and Policies"
   Written policies, training materials, and guidelines used by board members to make parole decisions
   Agency: Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
   Date range: Current policies
   Expected response: 5-10 business days; may claim exemption

Federal FOIA:

1. "Georgia VOITIS Grant Compliance Reports and Audits"
   Agency: DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance

SOURCES AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

Experts:

• Timothy Carr, Former GDC senior researcher — Authored 2008 internal report on Georgia's truth-in-sentencing implementation

OFFICIALS WHO SHOULD BE ASKED FOR COMMENT

* None have been asked for on-record comment by major media outlets.

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?

GPS submitted these questions via Unknown on Unknown . Status: No public explanation provided

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

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

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

• Bureau of Justice Assistance VOITIS Report (PDF)
  https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/bja/191202.pdf
• DOJ Findings Report on Georgia Prisons (PDF)
  https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-georgia-s-state-prisons-violate-constitution

GPS Full Investigation:
https://gps.press/georgias-shadow-sentencing-system/