Corrections Divison
The Corrections Division is responsible for the direct supervision of all offenders sentenced to the Georgia Department of Corrections. The Division operates:
- 31 state prisons, housing nearly 60,000 offenders
- 6 pre-release centers
- 15 transitional centers
- 1 offender boot camp
- 1 parole detention center
- 1 probation boot camp
- 12 probation detention centers
- 3 probation substance abuse treatment centers
- 13 day reporting centers
- 113 probation offices
The Division oversees the custody of state offenders by contract in:
- 3 private prisons
- 23 county prisons
Overall, the Division is responsible for approximately 60,000 offenders under custodial supervision and 150,000 probationers under community supervision and housed in probation facilities.
There are six Pre-Release Centers (PRCs) in operation statewide with a total of 1358 available beds. There are five male facilities and one designated for female offenders. The mission of these facilities is to address the re-entry needs of offenders in order to reduce their risk to re-offend thereby increasing public safety. These facilities provide a secure environment in which to target the re-entry needs of offenders with two years or less to serve. The goals of the PRC are to emphasize work and provide the offender with work experience. By providing additional work opportunities prior to release, the offender’s work ethic will be enhanced. In addition, two key elements are assisting the offender in locating suitable housing and meaningful work upon release. In some cases, the expectation is to further facilitate rehabilitation by transitioning the offender to work release programs. Providing evidence based programs that target crime-producing behavior is an essential element of the PRC. These programs focus on changing criminal thinking and reducing criminal behavior. Risk factors such as criminal thinking, substance abuse, low education levels, and lack of employment skills represent needs, that when addressed, are associated with reductions in recidivism. Assessments are used to identify offenders in need of risk-reduction interventions.
