An eight-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, has uncovered crisis-level conditions in Georgia’s state prisons. The findings revealed shocking levels of understaffing, inhumane treatment and rampant violence. From 2018 to 2023 alone, 142 homicides were reported in facilities run by the Georgia Department of Corrections. In response, the DOJ recommended 82 systemic changes to reform the prisons’ management, safety, and treatment protocols. However, questions remain about the feasibility and enforcement of these changes.
Carrie Cook, a criminal justice professor and former prison employee, noted that the DOJ’s report aligned with her experiences working within the system.
“The report was not surprising to me,” Cook said. “Correctional employees are some of the lowest-paid workers in the criminal justice system, making it difficult to recruit and retain staff. This creates turnover, leading to frequent cancellations of essential services for the incarcerated.”
According to Cook, even fully staffed facilities face challenges in preventing violence due to prison culture, which fosters aggression rather than rehabilitation.
The DOJ’s findings reflect Cook’s observations, highlighting physical and sexual violence within Georgia’s prisons.
“Even if staffing levels are at 100% the prison culture presents obstacles to protecting the incarcerated,” Cook said.
In the current state, correctional officers must balance enforcing rules while managing large populations with minimal resources, often leading to high stress and burnout among staff.
Despite the DOJ’s recommended reforms, Adam Lamparello, an assistant professor of criminal justice, expressed skepticism about meaningful change. He emphasized the limitations of federal oversight.
“The Department of Justice can ask for these reforms, but Georgia prison officials are likely to implement them in name only,” Lamparello said.
He explained that the long litigation process would allow state officials to stall reform efforts for years, resulting in superficial compliance rather than substantial improvement in conditions. He pointed out that prison systems often comply with federal mandates on paper, but make little changes in practice.
Lamparello also noted the challenges of addressing violence within prisons, citing the recent deaths of inmates Brandon Mincey and Travon Walthour. Both deaths resulted from stab wounds in Georgia prisons and are tragic examples of violence that the DOJ report aims to curb. According to Lamparello, years-long court battles for prisoner safety are likely, but meaningful change remains elusive.
The harsh conditions inside Georgia’s prisons not only endanger inmates but also take a toll on the staff.
“Correctional officers are often tasked with overseeing more than 100 inmates for 12 hours at a time, sometimes without assistance,” Cook said.
These stressful working conditions, coupled with low pay, contribute to high turnover and burnout rates among staff. The inmates, meanwhile, face daily threats of violence, inadequate medical care and, for many, mental deterioration.
Lamparello shared a personal story to illustrate the toll prison conditions take on vulnerable populations, recounting how his brother, a mentally ill inmate at Rikers Island, was both physically and sexually assaulted during his incarceration. Lamparello stressed that many inmates experience trauma that worsens their mental health, further increasing their risk of reoffending upon release.
Both Cook and Lamparello agree that reform is desperately needed, but their outlooks differ on the likelihood of success. Cook highlighted the need for a cultural shift within prisons, moving away from punitive measures and toward more humane treatment of inmates.
“We need to humanize people who have been convicted of felonies and consider restorative justice practices,” Cook said.
Cook also warned that certain public attitudes toward crime and punishment may hinder these efforts, as some see incarceration as a form of retribution rather than rehabilitation.
Lamparello expressed doubts about whether the DOJ’s recommendation would lead to substantive reform, citing the privatization of prisons as a barrier to change.
“Private prisons create a marketplace for crime,” Lamparello said. “The system is incentivized to keep prisons full, which prioritizes profit over reform.”
Lamparello stressed the need for preventive measures, such as addressing the root causes of the crime, including poverty and mental illness, rather than relying solely on incarceration as a solution.
While the road ahead for Georgia’s prison system may seem complex, the DOJ’s investigation has sparked a renewed focus on the need for reform. From improving staff conditions to ensuring inmate safety, the proposed changes aim to create a safer and more humane environment for everyone involved.
Although the challenges are significant, the push for reform offers a critical opportunity to improve conditions and address systemic issues that have long plagued the state’s prisons.
