SMITH STATE PRISON
Facility Information
- Original Design Capacity
- 500 (at 219% capacity)
- Bed Capacity
- 1,526 beds
- Current Population
- 1,093
- Active Lifers
- 291 (26.6% of population) · Aug 2026 GDC report
- Life Without Parole
- 194 (17.7%)
Read: Brown v. Plata - A Legal Roadmap for Georgia's Prison Crisis →
- Address
- 9676 Hwy 301 North, Glennville, GA 30427
- Phone
- (912) 654-5000
- Fax
- (912) 654-5305
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 726, Glennville, GA 30427
- County
- Tattnall County
- Opened
- 1993
- Operator
- GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
Leadership & Accountability (as of 2026 records)
Officials currently holding positional authority at this facility, with deaths attributed to GPS-tracked records during their leadership tenure. Inclusion reflects role-based accountability, not legal findings of personal culpability. Death counts shown as facility / career.
| Role | Name | Since | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warden (facility lead) | Mims, Charles Michael | 2025-07-16 | 4 / 46 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Warren, Willesha | 2022-01-01 | 26 / 26 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Carver, Keenan | 2024-01-01 | 10 / 10 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Kennedy, Ashley L | 2024-01-01 | 10 / 10 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Foulks, Rodney | 2023-11-22 | 7 / 7 |
| Deputy Warden of Security (facility deputy) | Edwards, Brianna | 2026-07-01 | — / — |
About
Last updated August 22, 2026.(DS)
Smith State Prison in Glennville, Georgia, is a close-security men's facility that opened in 1993 and is designed for some of the state's highest-custody prisoners. The facility has a design capacity of 750 but holds 1,093 people — 71.6% of its expanded 1,526-bed capacity — and has been the site of repeated homicides, a warden's indictment on RICO charges, and a 2024 fatal shooting that prompted a system-wide lockdown across every Georgia Department of Corrections facility. GPS's mortality database records 38 deaths at Smith State Prison since 2020, 18 of them homicides. This analysis examines the facility's violence and mortality record, the contraband enterprise that reached the warden's office, and the staffing collapse that underlies both.
The Warden's RICO Enterprise: Contraband, Bribery, and a Murder Ordered from Inside
The most consequential criminal case in Smith State Prison's recent history centers on former Warden Brian Adams, who was arrested in February 2023 and indicted by a Tattnall County grand jury on May 12, 2026, on six felony counts including Violation of RICO, Making False Statements, Tampering with Evidence (two counts), and Violation of Oath by a Public Officer (two counts). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Adams was charged with violating Georgia's RICO Act, bribery, making false statements, and violating his oath as a public officer in connection with a sprawling contraband scheme known as the Saint Laurent Squad. The Georgia Virtue reported that the case was presented by the Georgia Attorney General's Office before a special call-back grand jury after 39 months.
The contraband operation was allegedly run by inmate Nathan Weekes, who the AJC reported orchestrated three murders from inside the prison using a contraband cell phone. The most notorious of these was the 2021 killing of 88-year-old Bobby Kicklighter in Glennville, shot to death in his bed in what investigators determined was a case of mistaken identity — Weekes allegedly ordered a hit on a correctional officer who lived next door. The Georgia Virtue reported that Adams remained as warden even after GDC learned of at least two murders alleged to have been orchestrated from behind the walls of Smith State Prison, some eighteen months prior to his eventual termination. A civil lawsuit filed in Tattnall County State Court by Kicklighter's family seeks damages from Adams and former Corrections Officer Ireon Moore, alleging they allowed contraband including cell phones, narcotics, and weapons, and facilitated a criminal conspiracy to kill a non-complicit correctional officer. The suit alleges Moore was paid to participate in the conspiracy, with financial arrangements carried out through text message.
GBI agents alleged that Adams provided false statements in an April 13, 2022 interview when he stated he had not been solicited or bribed by a GDC inmate in the past 10 years. The AJC reported that Adams allegedly participated in a RICO organization and accepted currency bribes through a pattern of racketeering associated with the enterprise run by Weekes. The Georgia Court of Appeals declined to hear an appeal from Adams and Moore in June 2026, citing lack of jurisdiction due to the use of an incorrect appellate procedure after the new direct-appeal statute took effect.
The contraband problem at Smith was not limited to the warden's office. The AJC reported that seven shakedowns conducted inside Smith State Prison during 2023 resulted in the removal of 1,509 weapons, 694 cell phones, 854 phone chargers, 7.55 kilos of marijuana, and 12.53 kilos of tobacco. A former corrections officer alleged that the prison's back gate, used to bring in supplies, lacks a metal detector, potentially allowing contraband including weapons to enter undetected.
The June 2024 Shooting and the System-Wide Lockdown
On June 16, 2024, inmate Jaydrekus Hart shot and killed 24-year-old Aramark food service employee Aureon Shavea Grace in the prison kitchen at approximately 4:30 a.m., then turned the gun on himself. The AJC reported that Hart was not authorized to be in the kitchen at the time of the shooting but was allegedly favored by GDC staff and permitted to violate rules with impunity. Georgia Public Broadcasting reported that investigators allege someone used a drone to smuggle the firearm into the facility. The AJC reported that prison staff were repeatedly warned by inmates that a gun was on the premises but failed to initiate a lockdown, conduct an extensive search, or put protective measures in place, and that there were no guards in the area where Grace was shot.
The shooting triggered an immediate system-wide lockdown of all GDC facilities, with roads leading into Smith State Prison closed and officers in tactical gear stationed at the entrance. Governor Brian Kemp announced an in-depth, system-wide assessment of the state corrections system by Guidehouse Inc. following the incident. Corrections officials initially called the shooting an isolated incident and said a personal relationship existed between Hart and Grace, but the AJC reported that after Grace's death, GDC accused her of helping Hart smuggle the gun into the prison — a claim her mother denies, saying the gun was there before Grace started the job. Deshonda Hagins filed a lawsuit in Fulton County State Court against GDC in July 2025, alleging prison staff was repeatedly warned of a gun on the premises but failed to act.
The Mortality Record: 18 Homicides Since 2020
GPS's mortality database records 38 deaths at Smith State Prison since 2020, including 18 homicides, 7 suicides, 7 deaths with unknown or pending causes, 3 natural or medical deaths, 2 deaths attributed to medical neglect, and 1 overdose. The homicide count is the highest of any cause category at the facility. The AJC's homicide-tracking coverage documented many of these deaths by name: Taylor Harrison Brooks, 26, died April 10, 2020 from multiple stab wounds; John Bretleir Reyes Cardona, 24, died April 20, 2020 from exsanguination due to a stab wound to the neck; Desmond Hill, 35, died April 9, 2021 from strangulation after reportedly calling his mother the day before his death to say his cellmate had threatened to kill him; Hiwatha Abdulcah Hakeem Jr., 26, died April 12, 2021 from multiple stab wounds, with a lawsuit alleging the four attackers had a history of violence and that prison officials failed to provide timely medical care; Christopher Ray Reynolds, 38, died July 1, 2021 from blunt and sharp force injuries; Christopher Michael Redwine, 45, died September 27, 2021 from asphyxia due to manual strangulation; Nathan Michael Mahan, 37, died October 23, 2022 from stab wounds; and Anthony Joseph Zino III, 71, died April 5, 2023 from asphyxia due to neck compression, with the local coroner noting the body was badly decomposed and the man had likely been dead for days before being discovered.
The AJC reported that 2023 set a record for homicides inside Georgia's prisons with 37 deaths, including the killing of a correctional officer at Smith State Prison. That officer was Robert Danford Clark, 42, who died October 1, 2023 from multiple stab wounds after being attacked by an inmate. The AJC also documented the deaths of Quenton G. Mayo, 30, on August 14, 2023 from stab wounds to the neck; Justin Tyler Smith, 37, on July 28, 2023 from an epidural hematoma caused by blunt force injury; Shaquan Jahrel Boykins, 31, on May 11, 2023 from blunt impact injuries to the head; Calvin Darrell Denson Jr., 31, on April 26, 2023 from a stab wound to the chest; Randy O'Neal Wynn, 54, on March 2, 2023 from homicide; and James Adams Jr., 72, on November 8, 2023 from blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Donquerius Lamonte Mahone, 37, died February 3, 2024 from homicide.
The most recent GPS-tracked deaths at Smith State Prison include Nicholas Shafer, 24, who died February 8, 2026 from homicide; Dwayne Eric Albritton, 65, who died March 12, 2026 from medical neglect; and Dreeonnie Lee Hart, 25, who died May 14, 2026 with a pending cause. GPS has additionally received multiple reports of assaults by incarcerated people on staff at Smith State Prison in 2026, and GPS records show 10 distinct sources contributed staff-misconduct allegations naming specific individuals in the first half of 2026, with external complaints filed to the Tattnall County grand jury.
Staffing Collapse and the Conditions It Produces
The AJC reported that at Smith State Prison, two-thirds of correctional officer positions were unfilled, leaving only 53 officers at a facility designed for 160, creating dangerous conditions. The Marshall Project documented the experience of Andrew Phillips, who was the sole officer assigned to an area housing 600 men, with no functioning fire extinguishers, when inmates set mattresses on fire. Phillips worked 11 consecutive days amid fire, assault, and single-officer coverage, before being called to escort a stabbing victim to the hospital. He resigned from Smith State Prison but was convinced to stay in a different position for a few more months before permanently leaving in February 2023. The Marshall Project reported that understaffing and poor conditions at Smith State Prison were so severe that Phillips and colleagues had no energy to care for inmates, and the environment was described as "too brutal, too disgusting."
The AJC reported that due to chronic understaffing, prisoners can be dead in their cells for hours or days before anyone notices, making a mockery of official processes for checking on high-risk inmates. The Marshall Project reported that Georgia prison staff were so understaffed they failed to notice a dead and decomposing body for five days. The AJC reported that guards working alone have watched fatal attacks on prisoners without immediately trying to intervene.
GPS has documented a systemic pattern across GDC facilities: officer vacancies have run between 49.3% and 60% systemwide for multiple years, against a national standard of no more than 10%, and the October 2024 DOJ findings letter explicitly concluded that "the leadership of the Georgia Department of Corrections has lost control of its facilities" and faulted GDC for placing "too much blame on gangs and insufficient emphasis on understaffing." Approximately 31% of the system's ~49,000 incarcerated population are validated members of 315 different security threat groups — more than double the national average. DOJ and the Guidehouse 2024 consultant assessment independently concluded that gangs effectively run multiple facilities, controlling access to phones, showers, food, and bed assignments.
Sexual Violence and the 2020 Waterboarding Case
The AJC reported that a prisoner at Smith State Prison was tied up, beaten, waterboarded, and sexually assaulted by his cellmate in 2020. When hospitalized, bars of soap that had apparently been used in a sexual assault fell out of his body. The prisoner had ligature marks on his neck and most upper teeth broken. GPS's systemic findings identify this as part of a broader pattern: the October 2024 DOJ findings letter concluded that sexual assault is "rampant" in GDC facilities and that GDC does not reasonably protect incarcerated people, including LGBTI individuals, from sexual harm. Of 456 sexual-abuse allegations recorded in 2022 systemwide, only 35 were substantiated (7.7%). GDC's own consultants PREA Auditors of America reviewed 388 PREA investigation files in May 2022 and found that not one met the law's standards. Georgia has never submitted a PREA certification of full compliance to the U.S. Department of Justice in the law's two-decade history.
WTOC reported that a former Smith State Prison employee was charged with sexual assault involving a corrections employee in May 2025.
Food Safety and the Limits of Inspection Scores
The Georgia Department of Public Health has conducted routine food-safety inspections at Smith State Prison's kitchen. The facility received a score of 84 (Grade B) on June 29, 2023; 82 (Grade B) on January 19, 2024; 85 (Grade B) on June 27, 2025; and 72 (Grade C) on February 16, 2026, with nine violations cited including proper cold holding temperatures, food properly labeled, original container, and thermometers provided and accurate. The February 2026 Grade C score represents a notable decline from the prior three inspections.
GPS has documented a systemic pattern of food-service sanitation failure across GDC kitchens that DPH inspection scores systematically fail to capture: tray-sanitizing dishwashers broken for sustained periods, sustained roach and rodent infestation in kitchen and serving areas, and meals served on visibly contaminated trays. The pattern is hidden from DPH scores because inspections are scheduled walkthroughs that do not assess equipment under load and because GPS has documented professional overlap between inspectors and facility staff in small-county settings. GDC spends approximately $1.69 per person per day on food (2024) and has proposed $1.60 per day in FY27 — under 60 cents per meal — versus the FDA Thrifty Food Plan estimate of roughly $10 per day for an adult man's nutritionally adequate diet. The Marshall Project independently reported rats in kitchens, insects in food, moldy trays, and visible malnutrition across Georgia facilities in May 2026.
The April 2026 Gang-Related Altercation and System-Wide Lockdown
On April 1, 2026, an altercation at Smith State Prison triggered a system-wide lockdown of all Georgia Department of Corrections facilities. WTOC reported that two inmates were airlifted to local hospitals following what officials believe to have been a gang-related altercation, and that the altercation was contained to one dorm. GDC placed all facilities on lockdown out of an abundance of caution until further notice. GPS records show multiple reports of assaults by incarcerated people on staff at Smith State Prison in April and June 2026, and GPS's intelligence system documented 10 distinct sources contributing staff-misconduct allegations naming specific individuals in the first half of 2026.
Settlements and Litigation
The Georgia Department of Administrative Services Risk Management settlement ledger, obtained through open records, documents several liability payouts tied to Smith State Prison: $75,000 to Ricardo Tavera Jaramillo (incident 2014), $15,000 to Rufus Newberry (incident 2018), $1,450,000 to Christopher Heath (incident 2020, linked to a documented death record), $3,472 to Micki Antonio Brown (incident 2022), and $450,000 to Julia Roberts (incident 2023). The Southern Center for Human Rights filed a lawsuit against GDC in 2021 over poor prison conditions. The AJC reported that Deshonda Hagins filed a lawsuit in Fulton County State Court against GDC in July 2025 over the June 2024 shooting, and that a lawsuit was filed over the death of Hiwatha Abdulcah Hakeem Jr. alleging prison officials failed to provide timely and adequate medical care after the assault.
Sources
This analysis draws on reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Marshall Project, Georgia Public Broadcasting, The Georgia Virtue, WTOC, and In These Times; Georgia Department of Public Health inspection records; Georgia Department of Administrative Services settlement ledgers obtained through open records; Tattnall County State Court and Fulton County State Court filings; GDC official statements; and GPS's own mortality database, systemic findings, and intelligence records.
Mortality Statistics
40 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.
Deaths by Year
- 2026: 5
- 2025: 1
- 2024: 6
- 2023: 11
- 2022: 5
- 2021: 7
- 2020: 5
County Public Health Department
Food service and sanitation at SMITH STATE PRISON fall under the jurisdiction of the Tattnall County Environmental Health Department. Incarcerated people cannot choose where they eat — public health inspectors carry an elevated responsibility to hold this kitchen to the same standards applied to any restaurant.
Contact
- Title
- EH Specialist
- Name
- Lance Dasher
- Address
-
P.O. Box 353
Glennville, GA 30427 - Phone
- (855) 473-4374
- Lance.Dasher@dph.ga.gov
- Website
- Visit department website →
Why this matters
GPS has documented black mold on chow-hall ceilings, cold and contaminated trays, spoiled milk, and pest contamination at Georgia prisons. The Department of Justice's 2024 report confirmed deaths from dehydration and untreated diabetes tied to food and water deprivation. Advance-notice inspections let facilities stage temporary fixes that disappear once inspectors leave.
Unannounced inspections by the county health department are one of the few outside checks on kitchen conditions behind the fence.
How you can help
Write to the county inspector and request an unannounced inspection of the kitchen and food service operation at this facility. A short, respectful letter citing Georgia food-safety regulations is more powerful than you think — inspectors respond to public concern.
Sample Letter
This is the letter Georgia Prisoners' Speak mailed to all county environmental health inspectors responsible for GDC facilities. Feel free to adapt it.
August 25, 2026
RE: Request for Unannounced Public Health Inspection of Food Service Operations at SMITH STATE PRISON
Dear Lance Dasher,
I am writing to respectfully request that your office conduct a thorough, unannounced inspection of food service and sanitation practices at SMITH STATE PRISON, located in Tattnall County.
Documented concerns
Georgia Prisoners' Speak, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investigative newsroom, has published extensive investigative reporting on food safety and nutrition failures across Georgia's prison system, including:
- Dangerous sanitation conditions — black mold on chow hall ceilings and air vents, contaminated food trays, and spoiled milk served to inmates.
- Severe nutritional deficiency — roughly 60 cents per meal; inmates receive only 40% of required protein and less than one serving of vegetables per day.
- Preventable deaths — the U.S. Department of Justice's 2024 report confirmed deaths from dehydration, renal failure, and untreated diabetes following food and water deprivation.
- Staged compliance — advance-notice inspections allow facilities to stage temporary improvements, then revert once inspectors leave.
Firsthand testimony
In Surviving on Scraps: Ten Years of Prison Food in Georgia, a person who has spent more than ten years in GDC custody describes no functional dishwashing sanitation, chronic mold on food trays, and roaches found on the undersides of trays at intake facilities. Full account: gps.press/surviving-on-scraps-ten-years-of-prison-food-in-georgia.
Specific requests
- Conduct an unannounced inspection of the kitchen and food service operations at this facility, with particular attention to dishwashing equipment, tray sanitation procedures, and food storage conditions.
- Evaluate compliance with applicable Georgia food safety regulations, including O.C.G.A. § 26-2-370 and the Georgia Food Service Rules and Regulations (Chapter 511-6-1).
- Verify permit status and confirm whether the facility is subject to the same inspection schedule as other institutional food service establishments in the county.
- Make inspection results available to the public, as permitted under Georgia's Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70).
Incarcerated individuals cannot advocate for their own health and safety in the way a restaurant patron can — they cannot choose to eat elsewhere. This places an elevated responsibility on public health officials to ensure these facilities meet the same sanitation standards applied to any food service establishment.
Thank you for your attention to this important public health matter.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Food Safety Inspections
Georgia Department of Public Health
What the score doesn't measure. DPH grades kitchen compliance on inspection day — food storage, temperatures, pest control. It does not grade whether today's trays are clean. GPS reporting has found broken dishwashers at most Georgia state prisons we've documented; trays go out wet, stacked, and visibly moldy — including at facilities with recent scores near 100.
Who inspects. Most Georgia state prisons sit in rural counties — often with fewer than 20,000 people, several with fewer than 10,000. The environmental health inspector lives in that community and often knows the kitchen staff personally. Rural inspection regimes don't have the structural independence you'd expect in a city-sized health department. Read the scores accordingly.
Read the investigation: “Dunked, Stacked and Served: Why Georgia Prison Trays Are Making People Sick”
Recent inspections
| Date | Score | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2026 | 72 | Routine | |
| Jun 27, 2025 | 85 | Routine | |
| Jan 19, 2024 | 82 | Routine | |
| Jun 29, 2023 | 84 | Routine |
February 16, 2026 — Score 72
Routine · Inspector: Lance Dasher
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A |
proper cold holding temperatures 511-6-1.04(6)(f) - time/temperature control for safety; cold holding (p) | 9 | Observed milk temperature at 44 F-45 F in dairy cooler, move contents out of unit until fixed |
| 10D |
food properly labeled; original container 511-6-1.04(7)(d) - other forms of information (c) | 3 | Observed trays of food in storage, cooked vegetables, no date and food labeling. Discard. |
| 11D |
thermometers provided and accurate 511-6-1.05(2)(x) - tmd, located in refrigerators/ hot holding (pf, c) Repeat | 3 | Observed walk in units missing thermometers and some units with thermometers installed at fan units. Move towards entrance of coolers. |
| 12A |
contamination prevented during food preparation, storage, display 511-6-1.04(4)(z) - miscellaneous sources of contamination (c) | 3 | Observed a jug of water stored in ice maker, remove and clean. |
| 14C |
single-use/single-service articles: properly stored, used 511-6-1.05(6)(r) - single-service/single-use articles, use limitations (c) | 1 | Observed single service cups being used to dispense food products at secondary dry storage. Use scoops with handles. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) | 2 | Observed foot valves not working on hand wash sink, and sink is not secured. Observed hose bibb/spigot at four compartment sink broken, will not shut off. Observed in dishwasher room spray nozzle/faucet is broken and will not shut off. Observed floor drains that are clogged with trash. |
| 17C |
physical facilities installed, maintained, and clean 511-6-1.07(5)(a),(b) - good repair, physical facilities maintained; cleaning, frequency & restrictions, cleaned often enough to keep them clean (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed wall damage in bakery room, clean and paint, observed mildew in dishwasher room, floor, wall, and ceiling. Observed floor in back dry storage in small room with food debris behind shelving. Observed ceiling damage in cage room, water damage. Observed floor by cook station pitting, small holes in flooring. Observed roll up door needing a new gasket. |
| 17D |
adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas used 511-6-1.07(2)(i) - light bulbs, protective shielding (c) | 1 | Observed cage covers/light shields missing in walk in cooler units. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) Repeat | 3 | Observed roach activity at bakery room, and at tray making station. |
June 27, 2025 — Score 85
Routine · Inspector: Lance Dasher
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2A |
food stored covered 511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(iv) - packaged & unpackaged food, food stored covered(c) Corrected | 4 | Observed open of RTE deli meat uncovered in walk in cooler. Discarded. |
| 11D |
thermometers provided and accurate 511-6-1.05(2)(x) - tmd, located in refrigerators/ hot holding (pf, c) | 3 | Observed walk in cooler(s) with thermometers missing, move thermometers that are present towards door of units. |
| 15A |
food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, and used 511-6-1.05(1)(a) - materials, general requirements (p, c) | 1 | Observed raw wood from under shelving at four compartment sink station, remove. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) | 2 | Observed faucet heads missing in serve line, reinstall. Install pluming under sinks that are missing in tray wash room and prep room. |
| 17C |
physical facilities installed, maintained, and clean 511-6-1.07(5)(a),(b) - good repair, physical facilities maintained; cleaning, frequency & restrictions, cleaned often enough to keep them clean (c) | 1 | Observed walk in freezer floors that need cleaning, debris/trash. Observed inside warehouse roll up door is damaged and needs replacing, large gap at bottom. The storage area has issues with gaps at the floor/way juncture, allowing mice and roaches entry. Seal. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) Repeat | 3 | Observed flies, roaches, and rodent droppings at areas in facility, manager has been shown hot spots. Increase vector control. |
January 19, 2024 — Score 82
Routine · Inspector: Lance Dasher
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2B |
proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use 511-6-1.03(5)(k)1&2 - eating, drinking, or using tobacco (c) Corrected | 4 | Observed drinks in kitchen not in a designated area away from prep and storage, in bakery, prep area, and serve line. |
| 2B |
food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized 511-6-1.05(6)(n) - manual and mechanical warewashing equipment, chemical sanitization-temperature, ph, concentration, hardness (p,pf) Corrected | 4 | Observed sanitizer level in sink not detectable, water dropped and refilled. |
| 15A |
food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, and used 511-6-1.05(6)(a) - good repair & proper adjustment (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed tilt skillet with wood used to provide support, remove (repeat). Observed latch to dairy cooler door broken, repair. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) Repeat | 2 | Observed faucet leaks at 4 compartment sink, prep sinks, tray machine room rinse station, utility room faucet. |
| 17C |
physical facilities installed, maintained, and clean 511-6-1.07(5)(a),(b) - good repair, physical facilities maintained; cleaning, frequency & restrictions, cleaned often enough to keep them clean (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed ceiling damage in areas of kitchen, pack out room, washing area, side door entrance. Bakery room has wall damage due to metal pans. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) | 3 | Observed rodent activity in side warehouse and at caged equipment/spices. Roach activity in tray machine room and serving line by side entrance. |
June 29, 2023 — Score 84
Routine · Inspector: Lance Dasher
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D |
adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible 511-6-1.06(2)(o) - using a handwashing sink- operation & maintenance (pf) | 4 | Observed hand wash station with no faucet head, and no soap. |
| 12A |
contamination prevented during food preparation, storage, display 511-6-1.04(4)(z) - miscellaneous sources of contamination (c) Corrected | 3 | Observed plastic food trays and jug of water in bottom of ice maker, removed, clean unit. |
| 15A |
food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, and used 511-6-1.05(6)(a) - good repair & proper adjustment (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed steam and condensation buildup in tray washing room. Areas under machine and shelving has black mildew on surfaces. Observed pieces of wood used to level tilting skillets, remove and use metal or plastic to elevate. |
| 16B |
plumbing installed; proper backflow devices 511-6-1.06(2)(r) - system maintained in good repair (p, c) | 2 | Observed sinks at dishwashing area with leaks on faucets and drain pipes. Floor drain was clogged, but was cleared. Observed sinks that could not shut off water flow in tray serving areas. |
| 17C |
physical facilities installed, maintained, and clean 511-6-1.07(5)(a),(b) - good repair, physical facilities maintained; cleaning, frequency & restrictions, cleaned often enough to keep them clean (c) Repeat | 1 | Observed rollup door damaged at small warehouse, spice storage room needs ventilation and continue painting. Ceiling damage observed in pack out room, serve line, and dishwashing area. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) | 3 | Observed flies in kitchen, need to keep exterior hallway for garbage disposal closed as much as possible, plastic curtain not be used properly (tied back). Rodent activity is at a better level. |
Recent reports (62)
Source-attributed observations and allegations from news coverage and reports submitted to GPS. Each entry credits its source.
- ALLEGATION According to The Georgia Virtue Published: Jun 22, 2026Adams and Moore facilitated a criminal enterprise within the prison that led to Kicklighter's murder.
"The lawsuit, filed by the family of Bobby C. Kicklighter, alleges that Adams and Moore facilitated a criminal enterprise operating from within the prison, which led to Kicklighter's murder in a botched murder-for-hire scheme in 2021."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to The Georgia Virtue Published: Jun 22, 2026Adams and Moore facilitated a criminal enterprise within the prison that led to Kicklighter's murder.
"The lawsuit, filed by the family of Bobby C. Kicklighter, alleges that Adams and Moore facilitated a criminal enterprise operating from within the prison, which led to Kicklighter's murder in a botched murder-for-hire scheme in 2021."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to WTOC Published: May 1, 2025A former employee sexually assaulted a corrections employee.
"A former employee of Smith State Prison in Georgia has been charged with sexual assault involving a corrections employee."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to The Georgia Virtue Published: May 13, 2026Adams allegedly participated in a RICO organization (Yves Saint Laurent Squad) and accepted currency bribes through a pattern of racketeering associated with the enterprise run by inmate Nathan Weekes.
"They also contended that Adams participated in a RICO organization, being Yves Saint Laurent Squad run by then-Smith State Prison inmate Nathan Weekes, and he committed the offenses of Bribery and False Statements and Writings in furtherance of the RICO organization. Adams, they said, was bribed when he accepted currency through a pattern of racketeering associated with the RICO enterprise."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to The Georgia Virtue Published: May 13, 2026Agents alleged that Adams provided false statements in an April 13, 2022 interview when he stated he had not been solicited or bribed by a GDC inmate in the past 10 years.
"Agents alleged that Adams provided false statements in an April 13, 2022 interview when he stated he has not been solicited or bribed by a Georgia Department of Corrections inmate in the past 10 years."
Read source →
Timeline (136)
Source Articles (40)
Former leadership
Officials who previously held leadership roles at this facility.
| Role | Name | Tenure | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| WARDEN 3 (facility lead) | Beasley, Jacob | 2023-11-22 → 2024-12-31 | 17 / 51 |
| Warden (facility lead) | Adams, Brian | 2019-10-01 → 2023-02-08 | 17 / 17 |
| CORRECTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT (facility lead) | Todd, Curtis J | 2025-01-01 → 2025-01-31 | — / 1 |
| Warden (facility lead) | Mims, Charles | 2026-07-05 → present | — / — |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | McFarlane, Andrew M | 2019-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | 17 / 51 |
| Deputy Warden of Security (facility deputy) | Henderson, Marcus | 2019-01-01 → 2023-01-01 | 17 / 17 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | COX, Eric | 2021-01-01 → 2021-12-31 | 7 / 51 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Epperson, Alicia | 2022-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | 5 / 5 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Brown, Vashti J | 2019-01-01 → 2020-12-31 | 5 / 5 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Smith, Tarmarshe A | 2016-01-01 → 2017-12-31 | — / 36 |
| Clinical Chaplain (specialty lead) | Hill, Bernard | 2023-11-22 → 2023-11-22 | — / — |
Location
Aerial View
Architecture documents what the building was designed to hold. See the system-wide receipts at gps.press/warehouse.