ATLANTA – State Representative Brian Prince (D-Augusta), chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee, recently participated in the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities’ (DBHDD) groundbreaking ceremony for the state’s new 40-bed forensic restoration facility on the campus of East Central Regional Hospital in Augusta.
“Expanding Georgia’s capacity to provide competency restoration services is an important step toward addressing the growing demand for forensic mental health care across our state,” said Rep. Prince. “This new 40-bed facility at East Central Regional Hospital will help connect individuals with the treatment they need while easing the burden on our local jails and courts. I am grateful for the work of the General Assembly and DBHDD to strengthen Georgia’s behavioral health system in this way. This investment is especially meaningful for Augusta, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this facility will have on our community.”
Supported by $20.7 million in funding from Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly, the new facility will expand Georgia’s capacity to provide competency restoration services for individuals who have been found incompetent to stand trial, with the goal of helping to address growing demand for forensic services across the state. The project seeks to address growing forensic demand, increase treatment capacity and help individuals move more efficiently through the restoration process.
“Georgia has made significant investments to help us tackle the growing demand for forensic services, and this facility is another important piece of that ongoing work,” said DBHDD Commissioner Kevin Tanner. “With the continued support of Governor Kemp and the General Assembly, we are adding capacity, creating new restoration models and finding ways to move individuals through the system more efficiently. Each of these investments brings us closer to a system that better serves individuals while reducing the strain on our local jails, courts and communities.”
In January 2025, DBHDD opened Georgia’s first standalone Jail Restoration Center in Dodge County, creating an alternative setting for individuals who need competency restoration services but do not require treatment in a state psychiatric hospital. Since opening, the center has restored 82 individuals to competency.
Georgia is also making an investment in additional forensic capacity at Georgia Regional Hospital–Atlanta. Later this year, DBHDD is expected to break ground on a new 300-bed hospital building for forensic services on the Atlanta campus. The $409 million project aims to expand the state’s long-term capacity to serve individuals with complex behavioral health and forensic needs.
To view an architectural rendering of the new facility, please click here.
*Editor’s note: a photo from the ceremony is included below.
Representative Brian Prince represents the citizens of District 132, which includes Jefferson County, as well as a portion of Richmond County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 and currently serves as Chairman of the Urban Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Motor Vehicles, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Technology and Infrastructure Innovation, Transportation and Ways & Means committees.
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