Justice Department announces Investigation into Conditions in Georgia Prisons

The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a statewide civil investigation into conditions of confinement of prisoners held in Georgia’s prisons.  “Individuals sentenced to prison in Georgia Department of Corrections facilities deserve to be treated humanely,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine.  “Our office is committed to ensuring state prisoners are safe while serving their sentences.  We look forward to working cooperatively with the Georgia Department of Corrections to ensure the safety of all individuals in its prisons.”  The investigation will examine whether Georgia provides prisoners reasonable protection from physical harm at the hands of other prisoners. The department also will continue its existing investigation into whether Georgia provides lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex prisoners reasonable protection from sexual abuse by other prisoners and by staff.  The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the department has the authority to investigate whether any violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.  The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at (844) 401-3736 or by email at [email protected].  Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s CRIPA investigations related to prisons and jails can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Aileen Bell Hughes, Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator, is handling this matter for the Northern District of Georgia.