---
title: HB 497. Penal institutions; inmate be allowed to dress in plain clothes during trial proceedings; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb497
cite_as: HB 497, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb497
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb497.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb497/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70421
date: 2025-02-20
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb497.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 497
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-18
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Jasmine Clark
- Tanya Miller
- Jordan Ridley
- Derrick Jackson
- Dar'shun Kendrick
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB497/2025
upstream_id: 1974174
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- criminal justice
- inmate rights
- trial procedure
- jails and prisons
---
# HB 497. Penal institutions; inmate be allowed to dress in plain clothes during trial proceedings; provide
## Text
House Bill 497
By: Representatives Clark of the 108th, Miller of the 62nd, Ridley of the 22nd, Jackson of the
68th, and Kendrick of the 95th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to conditions of detention generally, so as to provide that an inmate be allowed to
dress in plain clothes during trial proceedings; to provide for a penalty; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
conditions of detention generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"42-5-58.1.
It shall be unlawful for any sheriff, jailer, or other officer to require any person imprisoned
in a penal institution to appear in any court for trial dressed in the uniform or dress of a
prisoner or inmate, or in any uniform or apparel other than ordinary civilian dress, or with
a shaved or clipped head. No person charged with a criminal offense shall be tried in any
court while dressed in the uniform or dress of a prisoner or inmate, or in any uniform or
apparel other than ordinary civilian dress, or with a head shaved or clipped by or under the
direction or requirement of any sheriff, jailer, or other officer, unless the head was shaved
or clipped while such person was serving a term of imprisonment for the commission of
a crime. Any sheriff, jailer, or other officer who violates the provisions of this Code
section shall upon conviction be guilty of a misdemeanor."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would require jail and prison inmates to wear ordinary civilian clothing, not prison uniforms, when they appear in court for trial, and would bar officers from forcing shaved or clipped heads on defendants before trial.
### Plain-language summary
Under current Georgia law, there is no specific statute barring sheriffs or jailers from making an inmate appear at trial in prison clothing or with a forcibly shaved head. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's code on conditions of detention (O.C.G.A. Title 42, Chapter 5, Article 3) that makes it illegal for a sheriff, jailer, or other officer to require a person in custody to appear in court for trial wearing prisoner clothing or any apparel other than ordinary civilian dress, or with a head shaved or clipped at the officer's direction.
The bill also says no person charged with a crime may be tried while dressed as a prisoner or with a shaved head caused by an officer, unless the shaving happened while that person was already serving a sentence for a crime. Any sheriff, jailer, or officer who violates this rule would be guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date.
### What it does
- Creates a new Georgia code section (O.C.G.A. ยง 42-5-58.1) making it illegal for jail or prison officers to force an inmate to appear at trial in prisoner clothing instead of civilian dress.
- Bars officers from requiring a defendant's head to be shaved or clipped before a trial appearance, except when the shaving occurred during service of a prior sentence.
- Prohibits any criminal trial from proceeding with a defendant dressed in prison attire or bearing an officer-ordered shaved head, under the conditions described.
- Makes a sheriff, jailer, or other officer who violates these rules guilty of a misdemeanor, a criminal charge carrying lesser penalties than a felony.
- Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new rule.
### Who it affects
The bill affects people who are incarcerated and awaiting trial, sheriffs, jailers, and other detention officers who manage inmates' appearance for court, and criminal courts overseeing trials where a defendant is in custody.
### Why it matters
Defendants who show up to trial in prison uniforms or with a shaved head can appear guilty to a jury before any evidence is heard. This bill would give detained defendants a legal right to wear regular clothes at trial and would expose officers who ignore that right to misdemeanor charges.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 42-5-58.1 to Title 42, Chapter 5, Article 3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which covers conditions of detention.
- The new section makes it unlawful for a sheriff, jailer, or other officer to require an inmate to appear at trial in prisoner uniform or apparel other than civilian dress.
- It also bars officer-ordered shaved or clipped heads for trial appearances, with an exception if the shaving happened during a prior term of imprisonment for a crime.
- Violation of the new section is classified as a misdemeanor for the responsible sheriff, jailer, or officer.
- Section 2 repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new rule.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-18)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-20)
- Sponsors: Jasmine Clark, Tanya Miller, Jordan Ridley, Derrick Jackson, Dar'shun Kendrick
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70421
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb497.md?full=1