Coweta County's Work Release Center is being phased out, the County Corrections Division has confirmed, seeking to repurpose the space for additional prison capacity. The decision was made following a July 22 meeting with the Board of Commissioners, where Public Works Administrator Tod Handley, along with Warden Jeff Rogers, cited underutilization and increasing liabilities as key reasons for the center's dissolution. According to the Coweta County website, the plan received unanimous approval from the Board.
Known to function as an incarceration alternative, the Work Release Center provided offenders with a path to transition from prison life by securing 'free-world' jobs while serving out their sentence. Nevertheless, the facility designed to house 32 is operating under capacity—currently accommodating a mere 15 inmates, a number that will soon dwindle further to two or three post-releases within the coming year.
Additional challenges plaguing the program included contraband risks and escape incidents related to the offender's work placements. Not to mention, a new requirement from the Georgia Department of Corrections would have imposed shuttle services from the center to job sites, driving up the costs even more. As Jeff Rogers shared, "This move will be a phased-out approach, and we will work closely with the Court System so everyone is handled."
By the middle of 2026, the existing space at the Work Release Center will be converted, allowing the Coweta County Prison to boost its inmate population from 216 to 248. These additional beds are reserved for offenders characterized by exemplary behavior—those who have shown a steadfast work ethic and not a single disciplinary mark on their record.
Recently, Georgia increased the cost of inmate housing from $24 to $30 daily, starting July 1, a move that Warden Rogers plans to use by enhancing offender programming. Emphasis will be placed on increasing therapeutic and skill-building opportunities, such as Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Anger Management, and the Family Intervention Program, as well as vocational training in fields like automotive, HVAC, and plumbing. Jeff Rogers affirmed the initiative: "Here at the Coweta County Prison, we want to provide motivated offenders with opportunities that would give them their best chance at a successful re-entry."
