Georgia Breaks Ground on $20.7 Million Forensic Restoration Facility

A new 40-bed forensic restoration facility in Augusta, Ga., will include intake, clinical, administrative and secure spaces, as well as dayrooms and an outdoor recreation yard. | Photo Credit: Georgia DBHDD

• The Georgia Department of Behavior Health and Developmental Disability (DBHDD) held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 8, 2026, for a new forensic restoration facility in Augusta.
• The new 21,108-square-foot, 40-bed facility on the East Central Regional Hospital campus will serve people found incompetent to stand trial and reduce treatment delays and pressure on local jails and courts.
• The Augusta facility is backed by $20.7 million in state funding supported by Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly.
• Jericho Design Group is the project architect, and Carroll Daniel is the contractor; completion is expected in October 2027.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Behavior Health and Developmental Disability (DBHDD) broke ground Oct. 8 on a $20.7 million forensic restoration facility at East Central Regional Hospital, advancing a 40-bed project intended to reduce pressure on local jails and courts.

According to the DBHDD, the facility will serve people found incompetent to stand trial, expanding access to court-ordered treatment and help people move through the restoration process more efficiently.

The state is “adding capacity, creating new restoration models and finding ways to move individuals through the system more efficiently,” DBHDD Commissioner Kevin Tanner said in a press release from the department.

“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,” said Tanner.

The department reported 834 people statewide awaiting forensic restoration services as of Sept. 28. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the General Assembly backed the project funding.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, also pointed to the impact of treatment delays on court cases. “We’ve also heard from victims and their families who are waiting for justice as cases remain delayed,” Tillery said in a press release from the Georgia Senate Press Office.

Construction will be led by Carroll Daniel, following designs from Jericho Design Group. According to Carroll Daniel, the 21,018-square-foot facility will include clinical, administrative and security spaces, as well as an intake area, dayrooms and an outdoor recreation yard. Completion is expected in October 2027.

The Augusta investment follows the January 2025 opening of Georgia’s first stand-alone Jail Restoration Center in Dodge County. That center serves people who need restoration services but not treatment in a state psychiatric hospital. It had restored 82 people to competency by the department’s Oct. 9 announcement.

Lawmakers also approved $409 million during the 2026 legislative session for a 300-bed forensic hospital building at Georgia Regional Hospital-Atlanta. According to Tillery’s Oct. 14 release, that groundbreaking is planned for November.

This article is based on press releases issued by the Georgia DBHDD on Oct. 8, 2026, and the Georgia Senate Press Office on Oct. 14, 2026, along with a Facebook post from Carroll Daniel dated Oct 9. 2026.