Prisons versus jails [2015]

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS | PRISONS VERSUS JAILS

Overview
Nearly 55,000 offenders in custody These offenders are housed in 58 county, private and state
prisons 4th largest prison population in the nation County facilities house offenders prior to being placed into
state facilities 149 county jails statewide
The average length of stay, in FY2014, for an offender in prison, not including revocations, is 3.43 years
COUNTY JAILS House about two-thirds as many inmates as Georgia's state facilities 146 jails No oversight/monitoring by GDC Each county is responsible for running, monitoring and funding Short-term offender Offenders are typically housed in county jails prior to being sentenced Once an offender is sentenced to time in prison, GDC has 14 days to transfer the offender from a county jail to a GDC facility or pay the jail $30 per day
COUNTY PRISONS 23 county prisons Operated through an interagency agreement Low security risk offenders Long-term offenders No history of escape in the last five years Have less than 13 years left remaining on their sentence or until they are eligible for parole Offenders provide unpaid, highly skilled labor to the local county. Such as: Road maintenance Park maintenance Landfill operation Small construction for government agencies Monitored through the DOC by: Inspections Audits Cost per day per offender $20

PRIVATE PRISONS Four private prisons statewide Corrections Corporation of America Coffee Correctional Facility- Nicholls Wheeler Correctional Facility- Alamo Jenkins Correctional Facility- Millen The GEO Group, Inc Riverbend Correctional Facility- Milledgeville Approximately 8,000 medium and minimum security offenders are housed in private prisons All private prisons are accredited by: American Correctional Association Medical Association of Georgia Monitored through the GDC by: Inspections Audits On-site full-time prison monitor Offenders have access to the same programs, classes and counseling offered in state prisons Cost per day per offender TBD
STATE PRISONS 31 state prisons Violent offenders Repeat offenders Non-violent offenders who have exhausted all other sentencing options May be sentenced directly to state prison by a judge May be sentenced to state prison as the result of a revocation proceeding Parole violation Probation violation Offenders have access to programs, classes and counseling Offenders have to opportunity to be placed on work details In facility: Cooking Cleaning Laundry General repairs Specialized: Food and farm Offender construction Fire service Community work details:

Build/refurbish/maintain prison and civic buildings
Perform road work Clean public buildings and schools Work recycling centers and landfills Correctional Industries On the job training Metal fabrication Optics Printing License plates Footwear Woodworking Screen printing Upholstery Garment production Chemical production Cost per day per offender TBD Most expensive sentencing option

County Jail

County Prison

Private Prison

State Prison

Monitored by GDC

X

X

X

Violent

X

Offenders

X

X

Repeat

X

Offenders

X

X

Non-violent

X

X

X

X

Offenders

Escape

X

X

History

Offender access to classes

X

X

X

Offender access to counseling

X

X

X

Work Details

X

X

X

X

Direct

X

X*

sentence by

Judge

Revocation

X

X*

Proceeding

Cost Per Day $30**

$20

TBD

TBD

*After sentencing to state facility by judge, the DOC will determine appropriate placement of offender (county, private or state prison).

**After sentencing, DOC has 14 days to place an offender in a state facility or they must pay the county $30 per day.

2/2015