The U.S. Marshals Service is preparing to relocate approximately 400 pre-trial detainees from the Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility in Lovejoy, Georgia, to the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia. The move, scheduled to begin the week of September 21, will transfer individuals from a facility operated by the GEO Group to one managed by La Salle Corrections. Internal emails indicate the relocation will occur in waves over five weeks, with a target completion date of October 31, 2026.
The decision to transfer detainees follows reports of unsafe and inadequate conditions at the 600-bed Lovejoy facility. According to sources familiar with the decision, documented problems include missing tools, holes in walls between cells, and malfunctioning locks. The Marshals Service, which manages federal pre-trial detainees, chose not to renew its contract option with the Florida-based GEO Group as these issues persisted without improvement.
Chief Judge Leigh Martin May of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and Natasha Silas of the Federal Defender Program have expressed opposition to the plan. They stated that moving detainees to a facility nearly 200 miles from the Atlanta federal courthouse will disrupt access to legal counsel and delay court proceedings. Judge May noted that the round trip between the two facilities is 376 miles, which could require detainees to wake up at 3:30 a.m. to arrive for morning court sessions.
Federal defenders also raised concerns regarding the history of the Irwin County facility. Silas noted that the facility was previously closed following investigations into human rights abuses before being reopened in 2025. While Silas stated she lacks sufficient information to determine if conditions have improved, she questioned the relocation to a site operated by La Salle Corrections, a company that has faced multiple lawsuits and human rights complaints. La Salle Corrections and the GEO Group did not respond to requests for comment.
The distance is expected to impact the constitutional right to effective representation by limiting how often attorneys can meet with their clients. Natasha Silas of the Federal Defender Program reported that travel costs for a single attorney could exceed $1,000 before a meeting even takes place. For the detainees, the move means a transition from a facility with physical infrastructure failures to one with a history of administrative and human rights scrutiny, located in an area Silas noted lacks nearby hospitals.
The move also places additional logistical and financial pressure on the federal judiciary and the U.S. Marshals Service. Judge May characterized the transition as a potential "catastrophe" for court operations, citing the extensive travel time required for trials and hearings. The relocation process is set to begin in late September and conclude by October 31, 2026, marking a significant shift in how federal pre-trial detention is managed in Georgia’s busiest federal district.