The Southern Center for Human Rights is deeply concerned about the health and safety of incarcerated people during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also recognize that people in prisons and jails may not have access to important information about the virus or vaccine. We created this information packet to address this critical gap in information for people incarcerated in facilities in Georgia and Alabama.

The following information explains how to use the GDC grievance procedure to address problems you experience while in state custody, which includes state prisons, private prisons, county correctional institutions, and transitional centers.

For individuals who are locked up in Georgia: an outline of the legal standards around the medical care that you have a right to.

For individuals who are locked up in Alabama: an outline of the legal standards around the medical care that you have a right to.

Published by The Center for Constitutional Rights and The National Lawyers Guild, National Office, this handbook is a free resource for people in prison who wish to file a federal lawsuit addressing poor conditions in prison or abuse by prison staff. It also contains limited general information about the United States legal system. This handbook is available for free to anyone.

This handbook was written for families and loved ones of those incarcerated in Georgia’s prisons. It explains the hierarchy in the Department of Corrections and how to maneuver within it as well as appropriate and effective steps to take to resolve your loved one’s problems.