Understanding Security Classifications at Georgia Prisons (examples from GDC listings)

When you look up a Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) facility on the state's location listings, you'll usually see a short security label next to the entry: Minimum Security, Medium Security, Close Security, or something similar. This guide breaks down what you can actually take away from that label, with real examples pulled straight from published GDC entries. That way, you can double-check you're looking at the right place for your loved one.

Security labels can feel abstract until you see them in context. Here are a few examples showing how Minimum, Medium, and Close actually appear alongside street addresses on published GDC entries.

The facility at 560 Barnes Street, Baxley, GA 31513 is listed with a "Medium Security" label on the GDC location page.

In the same city, the facility at 252 West Park Drive, Baxley, GA 31513 carries a different label. Its GDC entry is marked "Minimum Security."

Another Minimum Security example: the facility at 3001 Gordon Hwy, Grovetown, GA 30813 shows up with the "Minimum Security" label on the GDC listing.

For a Close Security example, the GDC listing shows the facility at 332 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 labeled "Close Security."

Some entries combine a population note with a security label. The facility at 601 Taylor Street, Augusta, GA 30901, for instance, is listed as "Adult Male Felons, Medium Security" on the GDC page.

Not every listing fits neatly into Minimum, Medium, or Close. GDC location pages sometimes include special designations. Treat those as labels on the listing itself, not as something you should interpret or translate into specific rules without confirmation.

Take the facility at 119 Old Monticello Road NW, Milledgeville, GA 31061. Its published entry reads "Adult Male Felons, Special Mission."

Trying to figure out which label applies to your loved one's current facility? The best thing you can do is verify you're looking at the exact matching location entry. Facility names can be similar, and a quick address check keeps you from relying on the wrong listing when planning next steps.

• ✓ Search the official GDC location listings for the facility name you were given.
• ✓ Match the street address on the listing to what you have (for example, confirm whether it is 560 Barnes Street in Baxley, GA 31513, not another similar entry).
• ✓ Write down the security label exactly as published on that address’s entry.
• ✓ If anything does not line up (name, address, or label), confirm through official channels before you rely on it for planning.

This guide only covers how to recognize the published label on a facility's location entry. It doesn't address visitation rules, privileges, day-to-day security procedures, or how placement decisions are made. For those questions, check the facility's official information and confirm details through GDC sources before you travel, mail anything, or make time-sensitive plans.