Georgia lawmakers seek clarity on safety upgrades after $600M prison investment

Georgia lawmakers want answers on how a $600 million investment has improved safety inside the state’s prison system, saying persistent violence, staffing shortages and security failures cast doubt on whether the money is making a difference.

At a House Budget Committee hearing Monday, Atlanta News First reported that Chair Billy Hitchens said one of the most serious issues — broken or malfunctioning cell-door locks that allow people in custody to roam freely — has yet to be resolved.

Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver told lawmakers that replacing the locks will take years, not months. He said the department is working with manufacturers to map out a multi-year strategy and warned that upgrades must happen across dozens of facilities.

Oliver also noted that the department now has more than 3,000 correctional officers and has seen nearly two consecutive years of net hiring growth. Still, the agency remains more than 1,000 officers short of recommended staffing levels.

He said roughly 50,000 people are currently incarcerated in Georgia, giving the state one of the highest imprisonment rates in the country. Projections show the population could rise to 55,000 by 2030 — a trend lawmakers say the system is not equipped to handle without substantial improvements.

Outside the Capitol, advocates say they see little evidence that conditions are getting better. Wendy Hunnicutt, who works with incarcerated people through a ministry-based support program, said she has seen no upgrades or improvements with violence and unsafe living conditions.

“I haven’t seen any locks being changed. There are no improvements,” Hunnicutt said, adding that videos circulating online still show assaults, filthy showers and unsanitary cells.

A federal civil rights investigation last year found widespread constitutional violations in more than a dozen Georgia prisons, including unchecked violence and deteriorating living conditions.

“We’ve seen prisoners assaulted, carried out on stretchers with blood everywhere,” Hunnicutt said. “There are rats, bugs, filthy showers — everything about the living conditions is horrible.”