Justice Department Finds Georgia Officials Have ‘Lost Control’ of State Prisons

Scathing report details widespread issues at the state’s prisons where a systemic ‘culture of indifference’ puts the incarcerated and the public at risk.

Officers with the Georgia Department of Corrections check a vehicle at the entrance to the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Ga., on Sept. 20, 2011. Erik S. Lesser/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Oct. 1 released a 90-plus page comprehensive findings report revealing systemic, unconstitutional conditions in Georgia’s state prisons that create unsafe conditions for inmates, staff, and the public.

After a statewide investigation, the DOJ concluded that the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) had failed to protect incarcerated individuals from severe violence and sexual abuse, fostering an environment of chaos and danger that violates the Eighth Amendment.