This former state prison, built in 1950, was converted into a male state prison in 1978 after being transferred to the Department of Corrections and used as a state prison until closing in 2011. The prison housed 600 medium and minimum security inmates. Most of the prisoners were elderly or disabled who were sentenced to spend their remaining years behind bars. A majority of these inmates were confined to wheelchairs or beds and suffering from health issues.
A holding area for inmates inside the state prison.
Inmates with a high-security level were assigned jobs inside the state prison. Low and medium security inmates were assigned to outside work details. Each inmate was allowed one hour of yard time each day. Younger inmates who were able-bodied, several dozen in total; were housed in a separate modular building on the prison grounds. These inmates worked to maintain the prison inside and out, helping with tasks such as changing light bulbs, cleaning floors, and preparing meals in the kitchen.
A control room littered with discarded materials.The outdoor recreational courtyard had a basketball court and numerous tables. You can still make out the outline of a chessboard on this table.These bathtubs are unusual for a state prison, however, this particular prison housed geriatric inmates.
In 1963, the hospital built this church with donations. The church was used as the prison chapel after the Department of Corrections took over. The inmates at the state prison were housed in eight dormitories averaging 65 beds per dorm.
Hospital beds and wheelchairs were a few of the items left behind after the prison closed.Inmate photos and keys left inside a control room.The prison’s chapel appears untouched even though it has not been used in over a decade.
The only hallway of segregation cells inside the state prison. The state prison had eight cells for isolation and segregation.A Georgia state flag hangs on the wall inside a control room.
Welcome to AbandonedSoutheast.com!
My name is Leland Kent and I have had an interest in abandoned places ever since I was a kid. In 2016, my obsession with the forgotten and abandoned inspired me to create this blog. My goal is to showcase the obscure, sometimes historic, forgotten places I have visited across the Southeast. I hope to preserve the past through documentation and photographs since many of these amazing places are often lost to neglect, demolition, or renovation. I released my first book, Abandoned Birmingham, in July 2018 and it is available worldwide through most major booksellers. My photographs have been featured on CBS Inside Edition, CNN Travel, Houston Chronicle, The Weather Channel, MSN, Yahoo News, NPR, the UK Sun, the Daily Mail, NOLA.com, AL.com, and many others.
You can reach me at AbandonedSoutheast@gmail.com
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8 Replies to “State Prison”
Regards for this tremendous post, I am glad I found this internet site on yahoo.
I stumbled upon this facility during a visit to see the old “Lunatic Hospital” and would love to learn more about the hospital, prison and especially the nearby cemetery.
I just explored this building, today. It has grown up a lot since the pictures above were taken. However, according to the security guard that met my friend and me outside the fencing as we were heading back to the car, they are “cracking down” on people trespassing and taking them straight to jail. I guess she like us.
Regards for this tremendous post, I am glad I found this internet site on yahoo.
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Hi, I check your new stuff on a regular basis. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep doing what you’re doing!
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Where is this?
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I stumbled upon this facility during a visit to see the old “Lunatic Hospital” and would love to learn more about the hospital, prison and especially the nearby cemetery.
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Check out my book Abandoned Georgia: Exploring the Peach State. The asylum is covered in detail.
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I just explored this building, today. It has grown up a lot since the pictures above were taken. However, according to the security guard that met my friend and me outside the fencing as we were heading back to the car, they are “cracking down” on people trespassing and taking them straight to jail. I guess she like us.
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Could you possibly tell me why these prisons were closed?
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These old buildings were not efficient to operate compared to modern prisons and required more staff.
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