May Update on COVID-19 in Georgia Justice System
Below is our May 2020 update on the response to and impact of COVID-19 on Georgia’s correctional system. Go to our COVID-19 in Georgia’s Justice System page for additional information and links as well as our recommendations.
The COVID-19 pandemic began to be recognized in Georgia in early March and the state officially began to respond in mid-March with a Public Health Emergency which was later followed by official changes to governmental and business operations applies across the state during the rest of March and all of April until reopening efforts began in mid-May.
Because of that timeline, our focus on data begins in January 2020, two months before any response activities began, so that we can compare the pre-COVID numbers to identify changes.
Key Figures
Statewide:
- 55,000 usually in state correctional facilities on average
- 37,000 usually in county facilities on average
- 236,000 unique admissions per year to county jails in Georgia
April to May
- 2.5% decline in state correctional populations from April to May
March to April
- 20% decline in county average populations from March to April
- Largest 11 county jails, representing 45% of the state’s county jail population, only declined 16.5% as a group
- Only 3 of largest 11 county jails experienced a decline above state average, 20%
- DeKalb was the only county jail among largest 11 that had sustained growth (3%)
State and County Populations
Monthly population data published by the Georgia Department of Corrections for state correctional facilities (below) illustrates that the population has remained steady until the most recent data from May 1st when there was a 2.5% decrease of 1,377 individuals from April.
State Correctional Facilities Population Change, January to May 2020
| Jan-1 | Feb-1 | Mar-1 | Apr-1 | May-1 | |
| TOTAL | 55,556 | 55,218 | 55,221 | 55,025 | 53,648 |
| Net Change | – | -338 | 3 | -196 | -1,377 |
| Change % | – | -0.61% | 0.01% | -0.35% | -2.50% |
We can likely attribute the majority of this drop in population to actions taken in response to COVID-19 to limit its impacts in state prisons and correctional facilities, including efforts to release some individuals early.
County Jail Statewide Population Change, January to April 2020
| January | February | March | April | |
| County Jails Statewide Population | 36,819 | 37,617 | 37,782 | 30,352 |
This data is released by DCA at the end of each month so the figures for May should soon be available to include in this analysis. The decline of 7,430 in average daily population from March to April is significant. We may expect and hope the downward trend to continue into May.
% Change at Top 11 Largest County Jails, March to April 2020
| County | % Change | County | % Change | ||
| 1 | Bibb | -56.55% | 7 | Gwinnett | -8.22% |
| 2 | Hall | -41.08% | 8 | Richmond | -7.81% |
| 3 | Cobb | -28.93% | 9 | Lowndes | -6.34% |
| 4 | Chatham | -18.03% | 10 | Muscogee | -3.67% |
| 5 | Fulton | -10.93% | 11 | DeKalb | 2.99% |
| 6 | Clayton | -9.88% |
2020 month-to-month population % change in largest 11 county jails
| Jail Population | Jan-Feb % change | Feb-Mar % change | Mar-Apr % change |
| Bibb* | -23.84% | 67.15% | -56.55% |
| Chatham | -1.33% | -0.29% | -18.03% |
| Clayton | -1.15% | 4.51% | -9.88% |
| Cobb | 2.48% | -3.74% | -28.93% |
| DeKalb | 5.69% | -2.90% | 2.99% |
| Fulton | 3.60% | 1.62% | -10.93% |
| Gwinnett | 4.99% | 0.96% | -8.22% |
| Hall | 13.58% | -2.99% | -41.08% |
| Lowndes | 6.60% | -6.93% | -6.34% |
| Muscogee | 0.21% | -2.26% | -3.67% |
| Richmond | 5.25% | -1.82% | -7.81% |