Scott State Prison at Hardwick will close Aug. 15

ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Corrections says it will close Frank C. Scott Jr. State Prison in Hardwick on Aug. 15, a move that will save the state up to $10 million annually.

Department spokeswoman Kristen Stancil said Wednesday the prison currently houses 1,784 inmates and employs 281 people.

Officials say the prison is closing because of its age. The facility was built in 1937. Stancil said most of the inmates will be transferred to Coastal State Prison in Garden City, which has a capacity of 1,578 inmates and the remaining will be divided among other state prisons.

Stancil said the staff at Scott will be assigned to other prisons.