Media Policies

  • Inmate - Authorized Releasable Information
    • Name
    • Age
    • Birth year
    • Physical description
    • Sex
    • County of conviction
    • Crime, sentence
    • Prior GDC incarcerations
    • Release eligibility
    • Death – ID withheld until next of kind is notified; cause withheld until autopsy results available
  • Employee - Authorized Releasable Information
    • Work history (only historical) 
    • Confirmation of employment or termination
    • Adverse actions and historical grievances, once officially filed
    • Suspension
    • Charges, after served to employee
  • Inmate & Employees - Unauthorized Information (cannot be released) 
    • Information such as medical and mental health conditions and juvenile crimes
    • Information about prior arrests, if not considered public record; prior convictions can be released
    • Information concerning victims of a crime unless on the indictment
    • Names and addresses of an offender’s or employee’s family
    • Employee’s address, social security number, and medical and beneficiary information
    • Employee’s age 
    • An inmate’s Institutional file is deemed confidential, therefore cannot be released
  • Media Access to Facilities

    Media representatives do not have the automatic right to visit any facility/center. However, access may be granted through the Office of Communications. Access is subject to limitations necessary to maintain order and security, and protect safety of inmates and staff. Media representatives who have been approved to visit facilities/centers, must:

    • Be accompanied by a member of the Office of Communications or a facility/center office representative
    • Wear proper attire as determined by the facility/center. No short pants, short skirts, suggestive or revealing clothing can be worn. When necessary, a facility/center may require or provide an appropriate change of clothes.
    • Media representatives may not be listed on an offender’s visitation or call allow list if they wish to be recognized as media by the Communications Office. Any journalist who is placed on an offender’s personal visitation or call allow list will not be allowed to visit that offender as a media representative. The organization affiliated with the reporter placed on the offender’s personal visitation or call allow list may also not be able to visit the offender.

    Disregard for Departmental policy, may result in refusal of future access to the facility/center. In addition, access to any facility/center may be suspended during a critical incident or emergency.

    The following items are not permitted inside facilities/centers:

    • Cell phones
    • Laptops
    • Tablets (iPads)
    • Tobacco products
    • Purses
    • Briefcases
    • Keys
    • Other contraband items identified by the Department