Metro State Prison

Buildings at Metro State Prison

Metro State Prison, previously the Metro Correctional Institution,[1] is an American former Georgia Department of Corrections prison for women in unincorporated southern DeKalb County, Georgia,[2] near Atlanta.[1][3] Female death row inmates (UDS, "under death sentence") were held in the Metro State Prison.[4] The prison had room for 779 prisoners. It was closed in 2011.[5] In 2018, the prison was renovated and reopened as the Metro Reentry Facility.

## History

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Metro State opened in 1980 as a men's prison. In 1993 the male prisoners were moved out of Metro and were replaced with prisoners from the Georgia Women's Correctional Institution.[5] The prison planned to move the 700 male prisoners at Metro to other prisons. The swap was scheduled for completion on July 1, 1993.[6] As the transfer occurred the prison was the only co-ed prison in the State of Georgia.[1] Georgia DOC officials said that the gender swap occurred because many female prisoners were from Greater Atlanta and the proximity would provide more opportunities for family members to visit them. In addition, the location allowed female prisoners to have more access to psychological and medical services available in Greater Atlanta. Lynn Cook of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said "[t]he swap also made [sic] to get the female inmates out of a culture at Georgia Women’s Correctional Institution that had allowed officers and other workers at the prison to engage in sexual relationships with inmates."[5]

In 2011 the State of Georgia closed the prison. The women were moved to Lee Arrendale State Prison and Pulaski State Prison. Georgia DOC officials declined to state when the agency began moving the prisoners or when the move had been completed, citing security concerns. The inmates and employees had been cleared out of the prison by April 30, 2011. Brian Owens, the Commissioner, stated in 2011 to members of the Georgia Legislature that the number of women coming into the Georgia DOC system had declined even though the overall prison population had increased. In January 2011 Owens said that a private prison company may have expressed an interest in buying the prison. In April 2011 a spokesperson for the Georgia DOC said that the state had no plans for the facility.[5] At the time of the closure the prison had 319 employees. The state offered them transfers to other prisons.[7]

After renovation, the facility reopened in 2018 as the Metro Reentry Facility.[8]

## Notable prisoners

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Non-death row

* Lynn Turner (died in prison)[9]

Death row

* Kelly Gissendaner

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Metro Correctional Institution Temporarily State's Only Co-ed Prison." Waycross Journal-Herald. Monday August 30, 1993. P-4. Retrieved from Google News on November 18, 2012.
2. ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: DeKalb County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. pp. 10, 14 (PDF p. 11, 15/22). Retrieved 2022-08-13. "Metro State Prison"
3. ^ "Metro State Prison Archived 2010-05-23 at the Wayback Machine." Georgia Department of Corrections. Retrieved on July 18, 2010.
4. ^ "Inmates Under Death Sentence January 1, 2011 Changes to UDS Population During 2010." (Archive) Georgia Department of Corrections. 3/7. Retrieved on November 18, 2012.
5. ^ a b c d Cook, Rhonda. "State closed DeKalb County prison." Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Friday April 1, 2011. Retrieved on November 18, 2012.
6. ^ "ACROSS THE USA: NEWS FROM EVERY STATE." USA Today. January 22, 1993. News 6A. Retrieved on November 18, 2012.
7. ^ "Metro State Prison in Atlanta Slated for Closure Archived 2013-01-24 at the Wayback Machine." Georgia Department of Corrections. January 21, 2011. Retrieved on November 18, 2012.
8. ^ Georgia Department of Corrections. Retrieved on March 16, 2022.
9. ^ CNN Wire Staff. "Antifreeze killer dies in prison." CNN. August 31, 2010. Retrieved on November 15, 2010.

## External links

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* Georgia (U.S. state) portal

* "Metro State Prison" - Georgia Department of Corrections (Archive)
* Quinn, Christopher. "State to close Metro State Prison; penal reform on state agenda." Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Wednesday January 19, 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Georgia Department of Corrections facilities

State prisons|

* Arrendale State Prison
* Augusta State Medical Prison
* Autry State Prison
* Baldwin State Prison
* Burruss Correctional Training Center
* Calhoun State Prison
* Central State Prison
* Coastal State Prison
* Dodge State Prison
* Dooly State Prison
* Emanuel Women’s Facility
* Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison
* Hancock State Prison
* Hays State Prison
* Helms Facility
* Johnson State Prison
* Lee State Prison
* Long State Prison
* Macon State Prison
* Montgomery State Prison
* Phillips State Prison
* Pulaski State Prison
* Rogers State Prison
* Rutledge State Prison
* Smith State Prison
* Special Management Unit at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison
* Telfair State Prison
* Valdosta State Prison & Annex
* Walker State Prison
* Ware State Prison
* Washington State Prison
* Whitworth Women's Facility
* Wilcox State Prison

Reentry facilities|

* Metro Reentry Facility

Transitional centers|

* Albany Transitional Center
* Arrendale Transitional Center
* Atlanta Transitional Center
* Augusta Transitional Center
* Charles D. Hudson Transitional Center
* Clayton Transitional Center
* Coastal Transitional Center
* Columbus Transitional Center
* Macon Transitional Center
* Metro Transitional Center
* Phillips Transitional Center
* Smith Transitional Center
* Valdosta Transitional Center

Probation facilities|

* Bacon Probation Detention Center
* Bainbridge Probation Substance Abuse Treatment Center
* Bleckley Probation Detention Center
* Colwell Probation Detention Center
* Emanuel Probation Detention Center
* McEver Probation Detention Center
* Patten Probation Detention Center
* Paulding Probation Detention Center
* Treutlen Probation Detention Center
* Women’s Probation Detention Center

Substance abuse facilities|

* Appling Integrated Treatment Facility
* Northwest Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Center
* Turner Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Center
* West Central Integrated Treatment Facility

Private facilities|

* Coffee Correctional Facility
* Jenkins Correctional Facility
* Riverbend Correctional Facility
* Wheeler Correctional Facility

County facilities|

* Athens-Clarke County Correctional Institution
* Bulloch County Correctional Institution
* Carroll County Correctional Institute
* Clayton County Prison
* Colquitt County Prison
* Coweta County Prison
* Decatur County Prison
* Effingham County Prison
* Floyd County Prison
* Gwinnett County Prison
* Hall County Correctional Institution
* Harris County Prison
* Jackson County Correctional Institution
* Jefferson County Correctional Institute
* Mitchell County Correctional Institute
* Muscogee County Prison
* Richmond County Correctional Institution
* Screven County Prison
* Spalding County Correctional Institution
* Sumter County Correctional Institute
* Terrell County Correctional Institute

Closed facilities (partial list)|

* Bostick State Prison
* Georgia State Prison
* Homerville State Prison
* Men's State Prison
* Metro State Prison
* Milan State Prison
* Rivers State Prison
* Scott State Prison
* Thomas County Prison
* Troup County Correctional Institution
* Wayne State Prison

See also|

* 2010 Georgia prison strike

* v
* t
* e

Prisons for women in the United States

This list template only include facilities for post-trial long-term confinement of adult females and juvenile females sentenced as adults, of one or two years or more (referred to as "prisons" in the United States, while the word "jail" normally refers to short-term confinement facilities)

Federal facilities

Federal Bureau of Prisons|

* Federal Prison Camp, Alderson
* Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville
* Federal Prison Camp, Bryan
* Federal Medical Center, Carswell
* Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury
* Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin
* United States Penitentiary, Hazelton
* Federal Correctional Institution, Tallahassee
* Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca

| Converted into men's facilities|

* Federal Reformatory for Women in Seagoville

|

Department of Defense|

* Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar

State prisons

Alabama|

* Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women
* Montgomery Women's Facility

Alaska|

* Hiland Mountain Correctional Center

Arizona|

* Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville

Arkansas|

* McPherson Unit
* Hawkins Center for Women

| Closed|

* Arkansas State Farm for Women

|

Women removed from facility|

* Cummins Unit
* Tucker Unit

California|

* California Institution for Women
* Central California Women's Facility
* Folsom Women’s Facility

| Converted into men's facilities|

* Valley State Prison for Women

|

Colorado|

* Denver Women's Correctional Facility
* La Vista Correctional Facility

| Closed|

* Colorado Women's Correctional Facility

|

Connecticut|

* York Correctional Institution

Delaware|

* Delores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution

Florida|

* Lowell Correctional Institution

| Closed|

* Broward Correctional Institution

|

Women removed from facility|

* Union Correctional Institution

Georgia|

* Arrendale State Prison
* Pulaski State Prison

| Converted into men's facilities|

* Georgia Women's Correctional Institution

|

Closed|

* Metro State Prison

Hawaii|

* Women's Community Correctional Center

Idaho|

* Pocatello Women's Correctional Center
* South Boise Women's Correctional Center

Illinois|

* Decatur Correctional Center
* Logan Correctional Center

| Closed|

* Dwight Correctional Center

|

Indiana|

* Indiana Women's Prison
* Rockville Correctional Facility

Iowa|

* Iowa Correctional Institution for Women

Kansas|

* Topeka Correctional Facility

Kentucky|

* Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women
* Ross-Cash Center

| Converted into men's facilities|

* Western Kentucky Correctional Complex

|

Closed and reopened as men's facility|

* Otter Creek Correctional Center (reopened as Southeast State Correctional Complex)

Louisiana|

* Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women

| Women removed from facility|

* Louisiana State Penitentiary

|

Maine|

* Maine Correctional Center Women's Center

Maryland|

* Maryland Correctional Institution for Women

Massachusetts|

* Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Framingham

Michigan|

* Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility

Minnesota|

* Minnesota Correctional Facility – Shakopee

Mississippi|

* Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
* Delta Correctional Facility

| Women removed from facility|

* Mississippi State Penitentiary

|

Missouri|

* Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center
* Chillicothe Correctional Center

Montana|

* Montana Women's Prison

Nebraska|

* Nebraska Correctional Center for Women

Nevada|

* Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center

New Hampshire|

* New Hampshire State Prison for Women

New Jersey|

* Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women

New Mexico|

| Women removed from facility|

* Northwest New Mexico Correctional Facility (formerly New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility)

|

New York|

* Albion Correctional Facility
* Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women
* Taconic Correctional Facility

| Closed|

* Bayview Correctional Facility
* Beacon Correctional Facility

|

North Carolina|

* North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women
* Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women
* Eastern Correctional Institution

| Closed|

* Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women
* Fountain Correctional Center for Women
* North Piedmont Correctional Center for Women

|

North Dakota|

* Dakota Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Center

Ohio|

* Ohio Reformatory for Women

Oklahoma|

* Mabel Bassett Correctional Center

Oregon|

* Coffee Creek Correctional Facility

Pennsylvania|

* State Correctional Institution – Cambridge Springs
* State Correctional Institution – Muncy

Rhode Island|

* Gloria McDonald Awaiting Trial Maximum and Medium Security Facility
* Dorothea Dix Minimum Security Facility / Bernadette Building

South Carolina|

* Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution
* Leath Correctional Institution

South Dakota|

* South Dakota Women's Prison

Tennessee|

* Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center (formerly Tennessee Prison for Women)

Texas|

* Christina Crain Unit
* Hilltop Unit
* William P. Hobby Unit
* Mountain View Unit
* Dr. Lane Murray Unit

| Converted into men's facilities|

* Eastham Unit
* Goree Unit
* Johnson Farm

|

Women removed from unit|

* Huntsville Unit

Utah|

* Utah State Correctional Facility

| Closed|

* Utah State Prison

|

Vermont|

* Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility

| Closed|

* Dale Woman's Facility

|

Virginia|

* Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women
* Virginia Correctional Center for Women

Washington|

* Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women
* Washington Corrections Center for Women

| Closed|

* Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women

|

West Virginia|

* Lakin Correctional Center and Jail

| Women removed from facility|

* Pruntytown Correctional Center

|

Wisconsin|

* Taycheedah Correctional Institution

Wyoming|

* Wyoming Women's Center

District and insular area prisons

District of Columbia|

* See Federal Bureau of Prisons

| Closed|

* Lorton Reformatory

|

Guam|

* Women's Facility

Northern Mariana Islands|

* Northern Marianas Prison

Puerto Rico|

* Escuela Industrial para Mujeres Vega Alta

U.S. Virgin Islands|

* Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility

See also: Incarceration of women in the United States
Note: Adults who commit felonies in the District of Columbia are sent to Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities

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