Inmates have civil rights. 

Prisons in Georgia are under a microscope and it is about time. 

This week, Senate hearings investigating allegations of corruption, abuse and misconduct in an Atlanta federal prison began in earnest.  

But the problems go way beyond one federal prison in Atlanta. 

Across the state, Georgia’s state prisons are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice.

More than 40 suspected or confirmed homicides have been reported in Georgia state prisons since early 2020.

The investigation is looking into whether Georgia’s 35 Georgia Department of Corrections facilities provide reasonable protection from physical harm at the hands of other prisoners and guards, acceptable conditions and protections for LGBTQ inmates from sexual abuse by other prisoners and staff.

When the investigations launched, the U.S. Department of Justice faced the very same frustration the people of Georgia and the media have faced for years, a state prison system veiled in secrecy.

The state Department of Corrections must be fully transparent and then be held accountable.

Documents related to prison policies, training materials, staffing, personnel discipline, prisoner complaints, incident reports and internal investigation materials should be available to the public. 

A prison sentence in Georgia should not be a death sentence.

Homicides, suicides and other suspicious unattended deaths have been cause for great concern for quite some time.

Federal investigators are right on target by looking into violence among inmates and a lack of reasonable protections for inmates. Much of the prison violence has been linked to gang activity. There are more than 45,000 inmates in Georgia — 73% of them for violent crimes. The DOC says 21% of the prison’s population have a mental health diagnosis. These are very real and very dangerous situations that must be addressed.

Death and injury, along with complaints about frightening and unsanitary conditions are far more serious than just prisoners complaining. The DOJ is taking it all seriously and so should state leaders. The Georgia General Assembly and the governor must be more willing to hold the corrections system accountable.

Reducing inmate deaths, acts of violence, addressing mental health needs and improving transparency are absolute musts for the embattled corrections system.

When prison officials stonewall requests for information from the press and the general public, especially when inmates die behind bars, it does nothing but breed more suspicion and distrust. 

A lack of transparency heightens concerns about egregious conditions and the credibility of complaints.

People — and prisons — with nothing to hide, just don’t hide.