Tyrone Oliver, Director of the Georgia Department of Corrections, testified in August before two Senate committees about the increasing violence in state prisons. He highlighted issues like understaffing, old facilities, and a more dangerous inmate population as major contributors to the problem.
One alarming incident involved a drone smuggling a firearm into Smith State Prison, which was then used by inmate Jaydrekus Hart to kill food service worker Aureon Grace in June. Hart, who had a personal relationship with Grace, left a suicide note after the murder.
The use of drones to deliver contraband, such as drugs and cell phones, has become a growing problem in Georgia’s prisons. Over the past year, the Department of Corrections reported over 430 drone-related incidents and made numerous arrests of staff, inmates, and civilians involved in smuggling.
Oliver also pointed out that even with full staffing, inmates find ways to distract officers and sneak in contraband. The rising violence correlates with an increase in inmates sentenced for violent crimes.
The Georgia Senate’s Department of Corrections Facilities Study Committee is now exploring how aging prisons, understaffing, and other factors are contributing to the violence. A $17.5 million budget increase is being used for much-needed repairs and upgrades to prison infrastructure.
Sen. Kim Jackson questioned why staffing levels weren’t given more emphasis as a factor in the rising violence. Sen. Randy Roberson expressed concern about inmates exploiting the poor conditions of the buildings to smuggle in contraband, drawing a comparison to the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.
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