This report provides recommendations to reform the criminal justice system in Georgia. This system has experienced rapid budget growth due, in part, to Georgia’s tough on crime policies and the rising age of inmates and their associated healthcare costs. These budget pressures are likely to continue, given the growing and aging inmate population, unless policymakers focus on differentiating between non-violent offenders and serious violent, sexual, and habitual offenders.

Georgia Health Primer for State Fiscal Year 2026
Read More of the 2026 Budget Primer here. Georgia’s 2026 Health Budget The Departments of