Marshals relocate 400 pre-trial detainees from Georgia private prison, drawing court warnings

The U.S. Marshals Service will relocate about 400 pre-trial detainees from the GEO Group’s Lovejoy, Georgia facility to a distant site in Ocilla over five weeks beginning the week of Sept. 21, citing safety concerns at the Lovejoy prison. Critics say the move will disrupt prosecutions by increasing travel times for attorneys and defendants and hindering court access and discovery; Chief Judge Leigh Martin May calls losing the RADD facility a 'catastrophe' for the district. The transfer highlights ongoing scrutiny of private-prison operators like GEO Group, which has faced inspector general findings and civil suits, and questions about the new site's suitability, including distance from the Atlanta courthouse.