Medical & Mental Health in Georgia (GDC)
Georgia's $5 medical co-pay, the statewide health-care contractor Centurion, the two-step GDC grievance process and what it does not cover, and the GDC Office of the Ombudsman that takes family concerns.
Health care and the co-pay
Medical, mental-health, and dental care inside GDC is delivered by a private contractor, Centurion Health, under a statewide contract that took effect July 1, 2024. Centurion succeeded the prior vendor, Wellpath. The company providing care can change, but GDC sets the rules.
There is a $5.00 co-pay for inmate-initiated medical visits. This co-pay is classified as non-grievable, meaning it cannot be challenged through the standard grievance process described below. Confirm the current amount and any exemptions, which can change.
The grievance process
GDC’s standard operating procedure sets a two-step grievance process:
- Original grievance. The person files an original grievance within 10 days of the incident.
- Warden’s response. The warden responds within 40 days; one 10-day extension is allowed.
- Appeal. The person may appeal within 7 days to the GDC Commissioner’s central office, which has 120 days to respond.
What the grievance process does not cover
Some matters are non-grievable and cannot be raised through this process. According to the grievance procedure, non-grievable matters include:
- disciplinary actions,
- housing and transfer decisions,
- administrative segregation,
- healthcare co-pays,
- work and classification assignments, and
- religious-accommodation requests.
Independent oversight
The GDC Office of the Ombudsman takes concerns from families and the public. Written complaints go to 300 Patrol Road, Forsyth, GA 31029; the office can also be reached by email at ombudsman@gdc.ga.gov or by phone at (404) 656-4661. PREA sexual-abuse reporting is a separate mandated channel, not handled by the ombudsman.
Verify Before Acting
Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.