Advocating for Human Rights in Georgia’s Prisons
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
Nelson Mandela | Activist/President of South Africa
Join our movement to reform the prison system and ensure constitutional rights for all inmates.
GEORGIA’S PRISON CRISIS
THE REAL CAUSE
Georgia was told a simple story in the 1990s: make sentences longer and force people to serve more time — and crime will drop. Three decades later, Georgia’s prisons are some of the deadliest in the country. The harsh “deterrence” strategy didn’t make us safer — it made the system collapse.
Violence skyrocketed. Gangs took control. Inmates aged behind bars with chronic illness. Recidivism stayed high. And taxpayers dumped $40 billion into a broken promise.
If deterrence truly worked, Georgia would be safer. Instead, we got more death, more trauma, and more failure.
Lives Lost Under GDC Custody
A person in Georgia’s prison system is 32× more likely to be murdered than a person living freely in Georgia.
Over 1,600 people have died in Georgia Department of Corrections custody since 2020—an average of more than one death every day. Georgia’s prison death rate is 70% higher than the national average. These deaths represent a systemic crisis of care, oversight, and accountability in our state’s prison system. Each number is a person, a family member, someone’s child.
Deaths in 2025:
255 Deaths (as of Oct. )
Previous Years Deaths and death rate
| Year | Deaths | Per Capita |
| 2024 | 333 | (651/100,000) |
| 2023 | 262 | (541/100,000) |
| 2022 | 254 | (525/100,000) |
| 2021 | 257 | (559/100,000) |
| 2020 | 293 | (682/100,000) |
The Crisis in Numbers
- Overall Mortality: With a death rate of ~628 per 100,000, a person in Georgia’s prison system is 4-10 times more likely to die than a person living freely in Georgia.
- Homicides: People in Georgia prisons are killed at a rate 32× higher than the free-world homicide rate — and has one of the highest prison homicide rates in the United States.
- Suicides: More than 40 per 100,000, twice the national average
- Trend: For five straight years, Georgia’s prison mortality rate has stayed between 525–682 deaths per 100,000 — levels comparable to the deadliest jobs in America and even modern war zones.
- Scale: Since 2020, more than 1,500 people have died in GDC custody — more than one death every single day, year after year.
- Georgia lists 7,535 people in prison for “murder,” but many never killed anyone at all. Broad felony-murder laws mean hundreds were convicted simply for being present when someone else took a life. And based on national data, an estimated 450 people imprisoned for murder in Georgia are actually innocent. The numbers don’t tell the truth — the system hides it.
Population Statistics
Current GDC population
| Prison | 50,250 |
| Probation RSAT | 1,479 |
| Probation Detention | 1,429 |
| Total in Prison | 53,158 |
| Jail Backlog waiting to enter GDC | 1,965 |
What We’re Fighting Against
Corruption in the GDC
Staff misconduct, cover-ups, and a system that protects those in power rather than holding them accountable.
Violence & Unsafe Conditions
Gang control, unchecked murders, assaults, and a system that allows brutality to continue.
A Broken Parole System
Georgia denies parole to thousands who should be released, keeping prisons full for profit.
Inhumane Treatment & Medical Neglect
Prisoners left without medical care, nutritious food, or basic human rights, often leading to preventable deaths.
Retaliation & Silencing of Prisoners
Inmates and their families face punishment for speaking out about abuse, unsafe conditions, and corruption.
Overcrowding & Triple Bunking
Inmates crammed into cells meant for one, leading to increased tension, fights, and worsening mental health.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Take Action: Be Part of the Solution
Your voice matters in the fight for prison reform. Here are three powerful ways you can help create change:
Contact Legislators
Use our AI-powered tool to quickly send personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers and media outlets about prison conditions.
Share Stories & Evidence
Help us document conditions by submitting photos, videos, and firsthand accounts from inside Georgia’s prisons.
Support the Movement
Follow our social media, sign up for updates, and share our content to amplify the voices of those behind walls.
Read Our
Federal Nutrition Guidelines vs. Georgia Prison Food Reality
Brown v. Plata: A Legal Roadmap for Georgia’s Prison Crisis
