A September 2026 appellate opinion permits parts of a Randolph County pretrial-release class action to continue without deciding the constitutional merits.
A 2026 Georgia State University Law Review note examines juvenile life without parole after Miller and Jones. Prison Project separates the Supreme Court's actual rulings from the researcher's concerns about Georgia sentencing and parole, with a document checklist for attorneys and families.
Former Cartersville officer and evidence custodian Donna Jean Kelley faces three felony charges after the GBI says money disappeared from the police evidence room. No conviction or affected-case list has been announced. The story explains what defendants and families should preserve and how public-records requests differ from criminal discovery.
Five defendants have been sentenced in a conspiracy that moved methamphetamine and other contraband into Alabama's Elmore Correctional Facility. The longest sentence was 20 years. The story includes a practical guide for families who are asked to move money, packages, or messages outside approved prison channels.
Former FCI Jesup correctional officer Ashley Brown received a 48-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to 24 bribery counts and 16 money-laundering counts. Prosecutors say she took more than $80,000 to smuggle methamphetamine, K2, marijuana, phones, and other contraband into the prison. The story includes verified DOJ OIG and BOP reporting guidance for families.
Former federal correctional officer Cornelius Thompson pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a person under his authority and accepting bribes to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine, K2, phones, and other contraband into FCC Coleman. He has not yet been sentenced. The story includes verified BOP and DOJ reporting guidance for families.
Georgia agents charged former Richmond County Sheriff's Office major Robert Silas with pandering, solicitation of sodomy, and violation of oath. He received a $5,000 bond within 12 hours, while a local calendar review found much longer waits for other defendants. Jail staff then shielded his face from cameras, prompting a public apology. Silas has not been convicted.
Avery Matthew Wood was initially arrested on rape, sexual-assault, and oath charges involving an incarcerated woman. A later official Superior Court calendar lists two first-degree sexual-contact counts and one oath count. No conviction has been established. The story includes Richmond County's current complaint process and a family documentation guide.
The GBI charged former Georgia probation officer Michael Smith with three counts of first-degree improper sexual contact involving a probationer. No conviction has been established. This guide explains the allegation-to-charge distinction and gives supervisees and families a practical reporting and documentation plan.
Gregory Rodriguez was convicted of sexually assaulting women in custody and sentenced to 224 years. A 2026 Justice Department findings report says California's two women's prisons still have systemic failures in protection, confidential reporting, investigations, and accountability. Here is what families can document and where they can report.
