ATLANTA — Governor Brian Kemp is unveiling a significant investment strategy aimed at enhancing Georgia’s prison system, including plans for a new correctional facility and broad renovations to existing infrastructure.
Lawmakers are actively searching for effective solutions to the myriad issues facing the prison system, which have raised concerns leading to a federal investigation. Among the pressing challenges are a notable rise in inmate fatalities, elevated employee turnover rates alongside criminal arrests, and ongoing issues with smuggled contraband such as cell phones and drugs.
On Tuesday, Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver presented a proposal to amend the current budget, allocating an impressive $458 million by the end of June, with an additional $145 million earmarked for the following fiscal year beginning July 1.
“Public safety remains the foremost priority for our state government, which is why we are taking a thorough and methodical approach to fortifying law enforcement and reforming our corrections system,” Kemp stated in his announcement.
The session itself was atypical, with Oliver submitting his budget proposals prior to lawmakers being sworn into their new two-year terms on Monday. The Governor’s plans will be further outlined in a more extensive budget announcement next week.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Matt Hatchett, a Republican from Dublin, has shown strong urgency, encouraging Oliver to expedite his work, emphasizing that the Governor’s timely budget outline underscores the serious attention lawmakers are giving to the matter.
“This is indeed unusual, and it reflects the priority that the Governor and our collective body are assigning to this issue,” commented Hatchett.
This funding initiative reflects a broader trend observed across Southern states, where there has been a renewed focus on the secure confinement of inmates and a retreat from efforts to reduce prison populations. In Georgia specifically, this shift comes as a result of the decreasing number of nonviolent offenders in the prison system, with Oliver informing lawmakers that approximately three-quarters of the 50,000 inmates are serving sentences for violent offenses.
In Alabama, a $1.1 billion project is underway to construct a 4,000-bed prison north of Montgomery, with costs escalating. Arkansas has allocated over $400 million towards a new facility with a capacity for 3,000 inmates, though no completion timeline has been established. Last year, Louisiana allocated at least $100 million aimed primarily at facility upgrades, including provisions to segregate 17-year-olds charged as adults from older inmates.
In Georgia, plans are already in place for a 3,000-bed prison near Davisboro in Washington County, with an additional $47 million requested for its furnishing, on top of the $451 million previously approved for the construction. The proposed additional prison is expected to feature around 1,500 single-bed cells, with Oliver suggesting that another $40 million is necessary to start planning this new facility.
A significant portion of the proposed expenditure would draw from Georgia’s surplus cash reserves, with many investments categorized as one-time expenses, some of which will unfold over multiple years. However, ongoing costs, particularly for hiring more prison guards and raising their salaries, would become enduring aspects of the state’s budget.
According to Oliver, the prison system is in need of 2,600 additional staff members to reach full employment levels. He has suggested a phased hiring approach, bringing in 882 officers over three months instead of attempting to hire all at once, which he deemed unrealistic.
The department has successfully increased its number of prison guards for three consecutive years, following significant staffing challenges during the pandemic. However, Oliver is advocating for a 4% salary enhancement, underlining the necessity for additional pay improvements.
A major component of the initiative is the renovation of current prison facilities, particularly focusing on updating security measures such as locks and control systems. However, Oliver acknowledged that space needs to be cleared in some prison units to facilitate these improvements.
“The aim of this undertaking is to renovate half of a facility at one time,” Oliver explained. “Currently, our progress is hampered because we can only refurbish one building at a time.”
Furthermore, he is proposing the acquisition of 446 additional private prison beds and the purchase of four modular prison facilities, each designed to accommodate 126 inmates. Some lawmakers expressed skepticism about the $93 million cost for the modular units, suggesting that renting private prison space might be a more viable option.
In addition, Oliver has introduced a $50 million initiative aimed at curtailing the use of cell phones in prisons and preventing the aerial delivery of drugs and other contraband via drones.
