ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC) has placed more than two dozen state prisons under an indefinite lockdown following a surge in what officials are calling “increased Security Threat Group (STG) activity.”
The widespread measures, which began Wednesday, affect a significant portion of the state’s correctional infrastructure. According to the GDOC, the decision to restrict movement and operations across 25 facilities was made as a proactive response to intelligence indicating coordinated threats within the prison system.
“Due to this increased threat, the facilities are staying on lockdown until further notice as GDOC performs security threat assessments and conducts investigations,” the department said in an official statement released early Thursday.
During a lockdown, inmate movement is typically suspended, visitation is canceled, and staff perform thorough searches of housing units to identify and seize contraband or potential weapons. The department has not specified exactly what sparked the alert or provided details on the specific nature of the Security Threat Group activity, a term often used by authorities to describe gang-related or organized subversive behavior within prison walls.
The list of facilities under lockdown covers a vast geographical area of the state, ranging from the McRae Women’s Facility and Augusta State Medical Prison to Hays State Prison in Trion and Valdosta State Prison. Other facilities impacted include Hancock State Prison, the Special Management Unit, Johnson State Prison, Rogers State Prison, Smith State Prison, Macon State Prison, Telfair State Prison, GDCP in Jackson, Phillips State Prison, Baldwin State Prison, Washington State Prison, Autry State Prison, Dooly State Prison, Wilcox State Prison, Calhoun State Prison, Coastal State Prison, Pulaski State Prison, Ware State Prison, Riverbend Correctional Facility, Wheeler Correctional Facility, Coffee Correctional Facility, and Jenkins Correctional Facility.
The lockdown comes at a time when the GDOC has been under intense public and legislative scrutiny regarding safety, staffing shortages, and contraband flow within state-run facilities. Families of inmates and community advocates are already expressing concern over the lack of communication regarding the duration of the lockdowns and how they will impact medical access and communication for those incarcerated.
Authorities have confirmed that the lockdowns will remain in place while security teams complete comprehensive facility-wide assessments. The GDOC has indicated that the duration of these restrictions will be dependent on the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
As of Thursday morning, there has been no word on whether any violent incidents triggered the department-wide response or if the lockdown is strictly a preventative measure based on intelligence. Officials have urged the public to stay tuned for further updates as the security threat assessments continue.
For families affected by the closures, the GDOC typically provides updates through their official website, though limited information is currently being released as the investigation is active.
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