Georgia prison officials in ‘flagrant’ violation of solitary confinement reforms, judge says

ATLANTA — Georgia prison officials have flagrantly violated a court order to reform conditions for prisoners in the state’s most restrictive holding facility, showing “no desire or intention” to make the required changes to solitary confinement practices, a federal judge said. In a damning ruling, U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Friday held officials at the Georgia Department of Corrections in contempt, threatening them with fines and ordering an independent monitor to ensure compliance with a settlement agreement for the Special Management Unit of the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, about 50 miles south of Atlanta. A psychology professor and prison expert told the court he had toured maximum security prisons in roughly two dozen states, and Georgia’s SMU unit was “one of the harshest and most draconian” he had seen. His conclusion: “The prisoners at this facility face a substantial risk of serious harm, harm that may be long-lasting and even fatal.” The settlement agreement the court approved in 2019 required prison officials to allow prisoners out of their cells at least four hours each weekday, give them access to educational programming and materials, and keep their cells clean, among other changes.