BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia sheriff is criticizing the state’s prison system after his office intercepted what he described as another shipment of drugs, weapons and other contraband before it reached a state prison.
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Butts County Sheriff Gary Long said in a social media post that the latest seizure is “not isolated” and called it part of a continuing pattern.
Long went on to sharply criticize the Georgia Department of Corrections, saying problems inside state prisons ultimately affect communities outside prison walls.
“In my opinion, the Georgia Department of Corrections has become the largest taxpayer-funded gang recruitment center in the state,” Long wrote.
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Long also argued that local taxpayers are left to cover costs when people incarcerated in state custody are later transferred to county jails to face prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in prison.
He said counties can be responsible for housing, feeding, providing medical care and transporting those inmates, as well as prosecuting the cases.
The sheriff also cited more than 1,500 deaths in Georgia Department of Corrections custody since 2020, attributing the deaths to violence, inadequate medical care, suicide and other systemic problems.
Long said continued problems with gangs, violence and drugs inside prisons can have consequences beyond prison walls.
“We’ve heard enough slogans, enough feel-good lines,” Long wrote. “If you want to prove you’re serious about public safety, start where the state has the authority and responsibility to act: the prisons.”
The Butts County Sheriff’s Office has previously announced other suspected prison-smuggling cases.
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