Georgia prison sentencing data
In the latest Georgia Department of Corrections public release loaded into Justice Audit, 50,171 people were held in Georgia state prisons. Their median sentence is 20 years (the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing, not counting life or death sentences). 58% are serving 20 years or more, and 8,380 are serving life.
Race: prison population vs. state population
| Group | People | Share of prison | Share of state (U.S. Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 29,904 | 60% | 34% |
| White | 17,533 | 35% | 58% |
Most common offenses
By the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing. Life and death sentences are not included in the median.
| Offense | People | Median sentence (years) |
|---|---|---|
| Aggrav Assault | 5,494 | 20 |
| Child Molestation | 2,353 | 20 |
| Armed Robbery | 2,349 | 20 |
| Voluntary Manslaughter | 1,391 | 20 |
| Poss W Int Dist Meth | 1,339 | 15 |
| Traf Methamph 28-199 Gm | 1,267 | 20 |
| Burg 1St Aft 6/30/12 | 1,258 | 20 |
| Poss Firearm Convct Felon | 1,202 | 10 |
| Poss Methamphetamine | 939 | 5 |
| Aggrav Battery | 899 | 20 |
| Theft By Taking | 848 | 10 |
| Aggrav Child Molestation | 840 | 25 |
| Sex Offender Fail Registr | 723 | 10 |
| Burg Bef 7/1/12 | 656 | 20 |
| Sex Exploitation Child | 621 | 20 |
Sentencing by county
County where the person's longest sentence was imposed. Counties with 20+ people have their own page.
| County | People | Median sentence (years) | Serving 20+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | 4,345 | 20 | 66% |
| Dekalb | 2,576 | 20 | 64% |
| Gwinnett | 2,289 | 20 | 66% |
| Cobb | 2,154 | 15 | 56% |
| Richmond | 1,729 | 18.5 | 60% |
| Chatham | 1,341 | 20 | 65% |
| Muscogee | 1,253 | 15 | 48% |
| Clayton | 1,048 | 15 | 60% |
| Houston | 998 | 20 | 56% |
| Floyd | 927 | 15 | 52% |
| Bibb | 905 | 20 | 63% |
| Douglas | 873 | 20 | 67% |
| Whitfield | 855 | 15 | 41% |
| Coweta | 734 | 20 | 64% |
| Henry | 734 | 15 | 49% |
| Newton | 729 | 20 | 59% |
| Cherokee | 722 | 20 | 63% |
| Hall | 720 | 20 | 74% |
| Walton | 718 | 15 | 55% |
| Carroll | 689 | 20 | 57% |
| Dougherty | 686 | 20 | 62% |
| Bulloch | 668 | 10 | 40% |
| Troup | 660 | 20 | 60% |
| Bartow | 604 | 20 | 65% |
| Columbia | 591 | 12 | 40% |
| Spalding | 539 | 15 | 53% |
| Glynn | 518 | 15 | 56% |
| Lowndes | 494 | 12 | 50% |
| Clarke | 486 | 15 | 51% |
| Fayette | 466 | 15 | 47% |
| Forsyth | 444 | 15 | 51% |
| Catoosa | 426 | 20 | 58% |
| Rockdale | 423 | 20 | 58% |
| Effingham | 408 | 10 | 38% |
| Crisp | 407 | 15 | 52% |
| Tattnall | 407 | 10 | 47% |
| Walker | 396 | 20 | 63% |
| Barrow | 383 | 20 | 59% |
| Baldwin | 380 | 15 | 53% |
| Murray | 363 | 15 | 48% |
| Gordon | 358 | 20 | 62% |
| Decatur | 344 | 20 | 58% |
| Coffee | 328 | 20 | 58% |
| Jackson | 320 | 20 | 56% |
| Toombs | 309 | 20 | 73% |
| Ware | 291 | 15 | 53% |
| Liberty | 279 | 15 | 48% |
| Laurens | 278 | 20 | 63% |
| Paulding | 274 | 20 | 56% |
| Tift | 260 | 20 | 63% |
| Ben Hill | 253 | 20 | 63% |
| Thomas | 247 | 15 | 50% |
| Grady | 232 | 20 | 65% |
| Emanuel | 230 | 20 | 72% |
| Monroe | 226 | 15 | 49% |
| Chattooga | 221 | 15 | 48% |
| Upson | 220 | 16 | 55% |
| Mitchell | 203 | 20 | 58% |
| Washington | 202 | 20 | 70% |
| Sumter | 201 | 20 | 66% |
| Burke | 197 | 20 | 63% |
| Colquitt | 191 | 15 | 61% |
| McDuffie | 191 | 20 | 74% |
| Wayne | 188 | 20 | 57% |
| Polk | 187 | 20 | 61% |
| Camden | 183 | 15 | 55% |
| Franklin | 179 | 20 | 57% |
| Hart | 178 | 20 | 57% |
| Haralson | 172 | 20 | 56% |
| Jones | 166 | 20 | 59% |
| Butts | 163 | 15 | 57% |
| Dooly | 157 | 20 | 61% |
| Putnam | 155 | 20 | 68% |
| Meriwether | 154 | 20 | 56% |
| Dodge | 152 | 10 | 44% |
| Morgan | 152 | 20 | 57% |
| Habersham | 151 | 15 | 48% |
| Dawson | 146 | 20 | 63% |
| Cook | 143 | 15 | 48% |
| Elbert | 142 | 20 | 61% |
| Stephens | 141 | 20 | 53% |
| Worth | 141 | 15 | 54% |
| Greene | 139 | 15 | 56% |
| Madison | 137 | 20 | 58% |
| Berrien | 133 | 15 | 53% |
| Pierce | 132 | 15 | 44% |
| Telfair | 131 | 10 | 42% |
| Fannin | 123 | 20 | 72% |
| Appling | 121 | 15 | 52% |
| Jefferson | 118 | 20 | 74% |
| Banks | 115 | 19 | 54% |
| Bryan | 113 | 10 | 42% |
| Lamar | 110 | 15 | 55% |
| Lumpkin | 106 | 20 | 63% |
| Jeff Davis | 105 | 20 | 61% |
| Candler | 103 | 20 | 66% |
| Gilmer | 103 | 20 | 68% |
| White | 103 | 20 | 62% |
| Union | 98 | 20 | 56% |
| Harris | 97 | 15 | 47% |
| Pickens | 97 | 20 | 71% |
| Dade | 96 | 20 | 62% |
| Lee | 95 | 20 | 71% |
| Screven | 95 | 20 | 60% |
| Evans | 94 | 15 | 43% |
| Jenkins | 88 | 15 | 39% |
| Bacon | 86 | 20 | 77% |
| Brantley | 85 | 20 | 56% |
| Wilcox | 84 | 20 | 65% |
| Charlton | 83 | 10.5 | 43% |
| Seminole | 83 | 20 | 64% |
| Towns | 82 | 20 | 56% |
| McIntosh | 81 | 10 | 42% |
| Bleckley | 76 | 15 | 51% |
| Early | 75 | 20 | 71% |
| Wilkes | 75 | 20 | 76% |
| Peach | 70 | 20 | 67% |
| Turner | 66 | 15 | 53% |
| Pulaski | 66 | 10 | 36% |
| Irwin | 66 | 15 | 44% |
| Long | 65 | 15 | 46% |
| Brooks | 65 | 11.5 | 52% |
| Oconee | 62 | 20 | 60% |
| Rabun | 62 | 20 | 63% |
| Treutlen | 60 | 11 | 43% |
| Oglethorpe | 58 | 18 | 59% |
| Jasper | 56 | 12.5 | 39% |
| Lanier | 55 | 15 | 49% |
| Terrell | 54 | 20 | 72% |
| Heard | 52 | 15 | 50% |
| Taylor | 48 | 12 | 60% |
| Hancock | 48 | 20 | 60% |
| Johnson | 46 | 20 | 70% |
| Wilkinson | 45 | 20 | 73% |
| Macon | 43 | 20 | 84% |
| Randolph | 41 | 20 | 76% |
| Clinch | 40 | 20 | 60% |
| Lincoln | 40 | 20 | 62% |
| Twiggs | 37 | 15 | 46% |
| Montgomery | 35 | 15 | 49% |
| Wheeler | 35 | 10 | 49% |
| Pike | 34 | 15 | 53% |
| Atkinson | 33 | 15 | 52% |
| Calhoun | 33 | 15 | 52% |
| Crawford | 33 | 15 | 48% |
| Warren | 29 | 20 | 66% |
| Miller | 28 | 20 | 64% |
| Stewart | 25 | 20 | 72% |
| Taliaferro | 25 | 20 | 64% |
| Schley | 25 | 15 | 56% |
| Marion | 24 | 15 | 54% |
| Talbot | 22 | 20 | 86% |
| Baker | 19 | 20 | 79% |
| Glascock | 15 | 20 | 87% |
| Echols | 14 | 20 | 71% |
| Webster | 13 | 20 | 62% |
| Quitman | 10 | – | 70% |
| Clay | 10 | – | 100% |
| Chattahoochee | fewer than 10 | – | – |
About this data
Source: Georgia Department of Corrections public inmate records. Counts are people currently in state prison custody, one record per person, using the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing. People on parole, probation or in local jails are not included. Criminal history is not in the data. Search individual records in Justice Audit.