Director grants fee waiver for DOC compact records after petitioner testifies to indigency

Director Pearson granted an appeal by Mister Roland and ordered the Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide records related to his interstate‑compact transfer without charging the $4.25 fee the agency had assessed.

Roland, who asked the director to swear him in as a non‑attorney, said he had requested 17 pages of records relating to his interstate compact and that DOC had assessed a fee of $4.25. He testified on the record that he is unemployed and indigent and said the fee would prevent him from obtaining records he needs for litigation in Georgia.

DOC counsel explained the agency had spent staff time compiling the file (about an hour) and used a reduced page/processing fee instead of a higher hourly rate; DOC said it often processes large volumes of GRAMA requests and that staff time and database navigation justify modest fees. Counsel also noted the agency had previously granted fee waivers in some past circumstances.

After hearing the petitioner's testimony that he had no income and no way to pay the fee, Pearson found there had been an unreasonable denial of a fee waiver in this individual case and ordered DOC to provide the requested records without charging the $4.25. He said a written decision will follow within seven business days and that DOC retains appeal rights within 30 days.

The director's ruling was narrowly focused on the individual fee waiver request; it did not address DOC's overall fee policies.