Five reasons why Georgia's prison crisis puts everyone at risk

Taxpayers face further costs due to the failures in the prison system: The state has also paid more than $20 million since 2018 to settle allegations that prisons fail to provide medical care, protect prisoners from violent attacks and screen for suicidal individuals. In April, a federal judge fined the state $2,500 a day for failing to comply with an order to improve conditions at the Special Management Unit, Georgia's version of a maximum security prison. The judge also ordered the appointment of an independent monitor at the prison system's expense.

Most prisoners will one day be released: Only about 2,000 inmates in Georgia state prisons are serving sentences that allow for permanent release, according to Department of Justice data obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The other 41,000 have the possibility of one day being released on parole. Rather than returning to society rehabilitated, some have joined gangs or become involved in criminal activity while in prison. Others, who did not receive necessary psychiatric or other medical care while incarcerated, will return to society with debilitating illnesses. Still others will struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder from the pervasive violence and other trauma. These men and women will often return to their home communities.