Georgia Department of Corrections Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

FORSYTH, Ga. - The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) announced today the death of an 80-year old offender due to complications of COVID-19.  The offender, who had been housed at Coastal State Prison and had underlying medical conditions, had been hospitalized at a local hospital in Savannah, Georgia, and was pronounced deceased on May 20 at approximately 7:55 a.m.

Additional updates related to GDC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be provided via our website http://gdc.ga.gov and social media channels. Status of confirmed positive cases are maintained via a dashboard on the website, which will be updated daily at 6:00 p.m.

The GDC’s Office of Health Services is working closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health to ensure appropriate protocols and guidelines are followed while managing the safety and welfare of our staff and offender population.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 54,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit http://www.gdc.ga.gov