Georgia Spends $1.6 Billion on Prison Construction While Ignoring DOJ Violence Reforms

FACILITY BREAKDOWN

What GPS Documented (Original Findings)

• Georgia recorded 333 deaths in 2024 alone, with over 100 homicides — Source: GPS mortality database analysis
• Georgia is spending over $1.6 billion on new prison construction, including $24 million for a 'hardened' unit at Hays State Prison and $451 million for a 3,000-bed mega-prison in Washington County — Source: GPS analysis of state construction spending
• Taylor Hunt died at Rogers State Prison in September 2024 under circumstances his family disputes as suicide, with purported suicide letters containing misspellings of his own children's names — Source: Family statement and GPS investigation

Data source: GPS analysis of GDC Monthly Reports, state budget documents, and family interviews

What DOJ Already Confirmed

• Georgia's prisons violate the Constitution and the state is 'deliberately indifferent' to lethal violence — Pages Multiple findings throughout report
• Deaths are misclassified, investigations are delayed, and violence is allowed to metastasize — Pages Investigation and classification sections
• Under-reporting of homicides, poor incident investigations, and failure to protect inmates — Pages Violence and protection findings

Source: DOJ Findings Report, October 1, 2024
https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1364546/dl

RECORDS JOURNALISTS SHOULD REQUEST

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. "Taylor Hunt Death Investigation File"
   Complete investigation records, incident reports, witness statements, and internal communications regarding Taylor Hunt's death
   Agency: Georgia Department of Corrections
   Date range: September 2024-present
   Expected response: 3-5 business days; likely fee quote for extensive records
2. "Taylor Hunt Autopsy Report and Medical Examiner Records"
   Autopsy report, toxicology results, and all medical examiner communications
   Agency: Tattnall County Coroner, GBI Medical Examiner's Office, Gwinnett County Medical Examiner
   Date range: September 2024-present
   Expected response: Varies by agency; medical records may require family consent
3. "Prison Construction Contracts and Budget Documents"
   All contracts, budget allocations, and expenditure records for Hays State Prison hardened unit and Washington County mega-prison
   Agency: Georgia Department of Corrections
   Date range: 2022-2025
   Expected response: 3-5 business days; fee quote likely for large construction contracts
4. "GDC Homicide and Death Statistics"
   Monthly death reports, homicide investigations, and classification records
   Agency: Georgia Department of Corrections
   Date range: 2024-2025
   Expected response: 3-5 business days; standard statistical reports

Federal FOIA:

1. "DOJ Investigation Communications with Georgia Officials"
   Agency: DOJ Civil Rights Division

SOURCES AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

Families (contact via media@gps.press):

• Heather Hunt, mother of Taylor Hunt — Rogers State Prison (where son died) (September 2024)

Incarcerated Witnesses:

• Incarcerated witnesses to violence and conditions, anonymous background only
  "Available through GPS secure communication channels"
  GPS can facilitate secure communication.

Experts:

• Available through GPS network, Prison reform organizations and academic institutions — Prison violence prevention, constitutional standards, reform 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 do autopsy and investigation reports remain sealed 14 months after Taylor Hunt's death?
2. How will the state respond to DOJ findings of constitutional violations?
3. Will Georgia implement any of the nine proposed violence reduction reforms?
4. What specific features will the new $1.6 billion in prison construction include to address violence?

GPS submitted these questions via Open Records Request on Multiple requests since September 2024 . Status: No response or denial

STORY ANGLES

Local:

Focus on families in specific counties affected by prison deaths, including Tattnall County (Taylor Hunt case) and Washington County (new mega-prison construction)

Policy:

Compare Georgia's $1.6 billion construction spending vs. California's $239 million rehabilitation investment and Mississippi's reform successes

Accountability:

Track which officials ignored DOJ warnings and why no reforms have been implemented despite constitutional violations

Data:

Analyze death classification discrepancies, homicide trends, and construction spending vs. violence reduction outcomes

QUOTABLES

"Those letters, purportedly written by Taylor to his family, contained misspellings of his own children's names—something Heather said her son would never have done. To her, and to anyone who knew Taylor, they were obvious forgeries meant to prop up an official narrative."

— Heather Hunt (Taylor Hunt's mother)

"We'll say it plainly: Georgia doesn't need another commission. It needs to implement nine fixes we've already laid out—plus one urgent change for the hole—to stop the killing now."

— Georgia Prisoners' Speak analysis

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

• DOJ Findings Report on Georgia Prisons (PDF)
  https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1364546/dl
• GPS Mortality Database (Database)
  http://Available%20through%20GPS
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution Prison Coverage (News Articles)
  http://AJC.com%20archives

GPS Full Investigation:
https://gps.press/when-warnings-go-ignored/