State Representative Bill Werkheiser has been appointed to serve on a newly created committee on state prisons.
Werkheiser, who hails from Glennville, represents District 157, which includes Evans and Jeff Davis counties, as well as portions of Appling and Tattnall counties.
Tattnall County is the only county in Georgia that is home to three prison properties, including the now-shuttered Georgia State Prison. Rogers State Prison and Smith State Prison also call Tattnall County ‘home,’ the latter of which has been a hotbed for issues and has made national headlines for the atrocities which have originated from the facility. Evans County similarly has two transitional centers under the Georgia Department of Corrections.
The committee to which Werkheiser was appointed by Speaker Jon Burns is formally named the House Special Subcommittee of Appropriations on State Prisons.
“The General Assembly has placed significant emphasis on improving the safety, security and conditions of our state-operated corrections facilities,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “With Governor Kemp’s ongoing assessment of Georgia’s prisons, we want to ensure we are prepared to take immediate action when subsequent recommendations and appropriations requests are delivered in January or during the interim. I look forward to the work of the committee and its support of efforts to restore law and order to Georgia’s prison system.”
Werkheiser’s work in the legislature has, for the most part, not dealt with corrections at all, though he was credited in the local newspaper in 2023 as the reason state corrections officials chose Washington County over Tattnall County for a new prison facility set to be built in southeast Georgia. The credit followed years of efforts by the local county commissioners and other local officials who worked tirelessly to inform and poll the general public on the issue.
“Our state prison system in Georgia plays a crucial role in ensuring public safety, administering justice and rehabilitating those who have violated the law,” said Werkheiser in a press release. “Over the years, our correctional facilities have faced significant challenges, particularly regarding safety, security and living conditions for both inmates and staff. We recognize that improvements are necessary to enhance the infrastructure, increase staffing levels and provide adequate resources for inmate programs that focus on reintegration into society. At the same time, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to fiscal responsibility, ensuring that your taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently and effectively. I want to thank Speaker Burns for selecting me to serve on this special subcommittee as my legislative colleagues and I are dedicated to ensuring our budgetary decisions support the long-term success and sustainability of Georgia’s prison system.”
Werkheiser is Chairman of the Industry and Labor Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety and Homeland Security and State Properties committees.
