WASHINGTON STATE PRISON
Facility Information
- Original Design Capacity
- 750 (at 157% capacity)
- Bed Capacity
- 1,548 beds
- Current Population
- 1,179
- Active Lifers
- 341 (28.9% of population) · Jun 2026 GDC report
Read: Brown v. Plata - A Legal Roadmap for Georgia's Prison Crisis →
- Address
- 13262 Hwy 24 East, Davisboro, GA 31018
- Phone
- (478) 348-5814
- Fax
- (478) 348-5613
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 206, Davisboro, GA 31018
- County
- Washington County
- Opened
- 1991
- Operator
- GDC (Georgia Dept. of Corrections)
Leadership & Accountability (as of 2025 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 1 (facility lead) | Stewart, Veronica M | 2024-01-01 | 26 / 42 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Dogan, Helen R | 2016-01-01 | 41 / 41 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Jackson, Tarra L Tomlin | 2021-01-01 | 40 / 40 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN (facility deputy) | Whipple, Tamishia V | 2024-01-01 | 26 / 26 |
| Deputy Warden of Security (facility deputy) | Grier, Tamara | 2025-11-16 | 13 / 13 |
About
Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia, a medium-security facility, has been in continuous lockdown since a gang-affiliated riot killed four incarcerated men on January 11, 2026, spotlighting the prison's collapse into gang control, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions documented by the DOJ.
Mortality Statistics
49 deaths documented at this facility from 2020 to present.
Deaths by Year
- 2026: 19
- 2025: 10
- 2024: 5
- 2023: 6
- 2022: 8
- 2021: 0
- 2020: 1
County Public Health Department
Food service and sanitation at WASHINGTON STATE PRISON fall under the jurisdiction of the Washington 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
- Environmental Health Director
- Address
-
201 Morningside Drive
Sandersville, GA 31082 - Phone
- (478) 552-3210
- washington.eh@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.
June 25, 2026
RE: Request for Unannounced Public Health Inspection of Food Service Operations at WASHINGTON STATE PRISON
Dear County Environmental Health Director,
I am writing to respectfully request that your office conduct a thorough, unannounced inspection of food service and sanitation practices at WASHINGTON STATE PRISON, located in Washington County.
Documented concerns
Georgia Prisoners' Speak, a nonprofit public advocacy organization, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2025 | 91 | Routine | |
| Dec 30, 2024 | 98 | Routine | |
| Mar 22, 2024 | 95 | Routine | |
| Jun 29, 2023 | 88 | Routine |
November 7, 2025 — Score 91
Routine · Inspector: Justin Jones
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2B |
food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized 511-6-1.05(7)(b) - food contact surfaces and utensils - cleaning frequency (p, c) | 4 | Observed bulk ice machines with black substance on deflector plates. In equipment such as ice bins and beverage dispensing nozzles and enclosed components of equipment such as ice makers, cooking oil storage tanks and distribution lines, beverage and syrup dispensing lines or tubes, coffee bean grinders, and water vending equipment:(I) At a frequency specified by the manufacturer; or(II) Absent manufacturer specifications, at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil or mold.Increase cleaning frequency of ice machines. Machine should be sanitized before being put back into use. |
| 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 broken pipe from 3-compartment sink in pots and pan area draining directly onto the floor. Observed floor tiles broken, missing throughout the facility. Some areas holding water. All areas should be maintained in good condition. This has been an ongoing issue for years. Some of the tiles have been removed in large areas. Continue efforts toward compliance. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) | 3 | Observed live pests and evidence of rodents and pests. The presence of insects, rodents, and other pests shall be controlled to minimize their presence on the premises by:1. Routinely inspecting incoming shipments of food and supplies;2. Routinely inspecting the premises for evidence of pests;3. Using methods, if pests are found, such as trapping devices or other means of pest control as specified under subsections (6)(e), (6)(m), and (6)(n) of this Rule; Pf and4. Eliminating harborage conditions. |
December 30, 2024 — Score 98
Routine · Inspector: Justin Jones
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 broken pipe from 3-compartment sink in pots and pan area draining directly onto the floor. Observed floor tiles broken, missing throughout the facility. Some areas holding water. All areas should be maintained in good condition. This has been an ongoing issue for years. Some of the tiles have been removed in large areas. Continue efforts toward compliance. |
March 22, 2024 — Score 95
Routine · Inspector: Justin Jones
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10D |
food properly labeled; original container 511-6-1.04(4)(d) - food storage containers identified with common name of food (c) Corrected | 3 | Observed storage container with dry ingredients with no label. Could not determine if it was sugar or salt by looking at it. Except for containers holding food that can be readily and unmistakably recognized, such as dry pasta, working containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from their original packages for use in the food establishment, such as cooking oils, flour, herbs, potato flakes, salt, spices, and sugar shall be clearly and legibly identified, in English, with the common name of the food. |
| 15A |
food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, and used 511-6-1.05(2)(a) - equipment and utensils, constructed of durable materials (c) | 1 | Observed dry goods being stored in broken storage bin in bakery area. Equipment and utensils shall be designed and constructed to be durable and to retain their characteristic qualities under normal use conditions. |
| 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 broken pipe from 3-compartment sink in pots and pan area draining directly onto the floor. Observed floor tiles broken, missing throughout the facility. Some areas holding water. All areas should be maintained in good condition. This has been an ongoing issue for years. Some of the tiles have been removed in large areas. Continue efforts toward compliance. |
June 29, 2023 — Score 88
Routine · Inspector: Justin Jones
| Code | Violation | Pts | Inspector notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1B |
proper hot holding temperatures 511-6-1.04(6)(f) - time/temperature control for safety; hot holding (p) | 9 | Observed several food items (see comments) being hot held below 135F in Cambro units . Except during preparation, cooking, or cooling, or when time is used as the public health control, time/temperature control for safety food shall be maintained at 41°F (5°C) or below or 135°F (57°C) or above, except that roasts cooked to a temperature and for a time specified in subsection (5)(a)2 of this Rule and reheated using the same temperature and time conditions as cooking may be held at a temperature of 130°F (54°C) or above. Reheated. |
| 18 |
insects, rodents, and animals not present 511-6-1.07(5)(k) - controlling pests (pf, c) | 3 | Observed live pests and evidence of rodents and pests. The presence of insects, rodents, and other pests shall be controlled to minimize their presence on the premises by:1. Routinely inspecting incoming shipments of food and supplies;2. Routinely inspecting the premises for evidence of pests;3. Using methods, if pests are found, such as trapping devices or other means of pest control as specified under subsections (6)(e), (6)(m), and (6)(n) of this Rule; Pf and4. Eliminating harborage conditions. |
Analysis written on June 24, 2026.
Washington State Prison in Davisboro is a medium-security men’s facility that opened in 1991 with an original design capacity of 750 but now houses approximately 1,179 people—76% of its expanded 1,548-bed limit. Warden Veronica Stewart assumed command in mid-2024. Over the past two years, the prison has become a flashpoint in Georgia’s spiraling incarceration crisis, culminating in a deadly gang riot on January 11, 2026, that left four dead and propelled the facility into a months-long lockdown that continued through mid-2026. The violence unfolds against a backdrop the U.S. Department of Justice condemned as “deliberately indifferent” to unchecked deadly violence, rampant gang control, and systemic understaffing.
The January 2026 Riot and Its Aftermath
On January 11, 2026, multiple fights erupted during visitation hours at Washington State Prison, triggering what officials described as a gang-affiliated disturbance. The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) said the brawl began around 1:25 p.m. among inmates on a sidewalk and spilled into a visitation area. Prison staff deployed nonlethal weapons and regained control by roughly 3 p.m., but not before three men were killed: Jimmy Trammell, 42; Ahmod Hatcher, 23; and Teddy Jackson, 27. A fourth victim, Silas Westbrook, 42, later died from a “medical emergency” during transfer to a hospital. Fourteen additional people—13 incarcerated men and one correctional officer—were injured. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 13WMAZ, WGXA, and GPS’s own investigative reporting all documented the carnage. GPS reporting described it as a gang war that left four dead and at least a dozen hospitalized, noting that Trammell had just 72 hours remaining on his sentence.
Two days earlier, Dajhmere Hall, 30, had been found dead at the prison. His death, combined with the four riot fatalities, made for five deaths at Washington State Prison in a single week—a cluster GPS highlighted in its coverage. The facility was placed on lockdown immediately after the riot and, according to Georgia Prisoners' Speak (GPS), never fully reopened; it remained on continuous lockdown for months, with commissary access suspended for the general population and visitation canceled with little notice.
In April 2026, twelve incarcerated individuals were charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, gang participation, and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution for their alleged roles in the deadly incident. The GDC investigation remains active. Deaths continued into June: Courtney Davis, in his early 40s, died June 13; Isreal Moses Jones, in his late 60s, died June 14; and Deshawn Poole died June 9. GDC reported that for Davis and Jones, no signs of foul play or altercation were found and the Office of Professional Standards is investigating both as standard procedure. Those deaths brought the facility’s total mortality to 41 since GPS began tracking. GPS has independently tracked 1,819 deaths in GDC custody system-wide since 2020, with 41 of those occurring at Washington State Prison.
Gang Dominance, Staffing Collapse, and DOJ Condemnation
The January riot did not occur in isolation. A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that Georgia prison officials are “deliberately indifferent” to the violence, drug trafficking, extortion, and sexual abuse that pervade state lockups. The DOJ concluded that sophisticated gangs run prison black markets, trafficking weapons, drugs, and electronics such as drones and smartphones, often with staff complicity. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that consultants hired by Governor Brian Kemp in 2024 confirmed buildings with maintenance failures allowed prisoners to strip materials into weapons, broken locks enabled inmates to roam freely, and severe understaffing left areas unmonitored.
At Washington State Prison that reality is acute. GPS has documented systemic gang control, corruption, and violence, including drone drops of contraband and alleged officer complicity. In 2024, Jeffery White ran a methamphetamine network from the prison that distributed more than 200 pounds of crystal meth in Florida; a year later, Luis Alfonso Ramirez was indicted for directing a drug trafficking operation from inside the prison using contraband cellphones, leading to the seizure of 35 kilograms of meth and 3.5 kilograms of fentanyl. State Representative Billy Hitchens told 41NBC in early 2026 that the prison system is not making meaningful progress preventing inmates from jamming or disabling cell-door locks—a failure that allows attacks to unfold. GPS’s systemic findings confirm that across Georgia’s medium-security prisons, classification drift has placed close-security individuals into facilities without adequate staffing or infrastructure.
Inmate accounts collected by GPS and reported through 13WMAZ describe Washington State Prison as “the worst prison” one former resident had attended: a place where people carry and use deadly knives daily with no intervention, where gangs dominate every aspect of life, and where staff allegedly tell incarcerated individuals they will not intervene in dangerous situations. Over the 12 months through June 2026, GPS records show 19 separate reports of inmate-on-inmate assaults at the facility, with 12 death-in-custody reports and 9 family safety concerns, many assessed as high severity. External complaints have been filed with the DOJ Civil Rights Division and state legislators.
Food Scarcity, Commissary Restrictions, and Deteriorating Infrastructure
While violence dominates headlines, the daily conditions inside Washington State Prison have eroded to a point where food and shelter themselves become instruments of harm. Physical evidence submitted to GPS shows meals consisting of rice with a tomato-based sauce served in styrofoam bowls. The Georgia Department of Public Health’s routine food-safety inspections have assigned the prison scores ranging from 77 (a C in June 2023) to 98 (an A in December 2024), with violations for cold-holding temperatures, unclean food-contact surfaces, and pest presence. Yet GPS’s systemic investigation into prison food has found that these inspections systematically fail to capture deeper sanitation failures—broken dishwashers, roach infestations, and contaminated trays—because inspections are scheduled and do not assess equipment under load. The facility’s kitchens, like others across GDC, are part of a system where the state spends roughly $1.69 per person per day on food, or under 60 cents per meal.
Compounding the problem, Washington State Prison implemented commissary restrictions that cap spending and impose per-item limits on staple items: soda, water, candy, chips, soup, rice, meat, cookies, pies, cupcakes, and drink mixes. Physical evidence obtained by GPS confirms these written notices. Family members report that incarcerated individuals rely on commissary to supplement nutritionally inadequate meals and that the new restrictions left many hungry, as families are also prohibited from sending food. Multiple accounts describe mold on shower walls, ceiling sections falling in, rusted bunks, and decaying housing structures. GPS has additionally received four reports each of food quality complaints and sanitation failures in recent months.
Mortality, Medical Neglect, and a Rising Body Count
Washington State Prison’s 41 in-custody deaths include a grim roster of homicides and suspicious fatalities. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has documented multiple killings at the prison: Marquis Reshawn Jefferson, 26, died of stab wounds in May 2022; Michael Lee Jackson, 60, was killed by blunt force injuries in August 2022; Jacob Cole Henson, 31, was fatally shot by a GDC officer in April 2024 while being transported for medical treatment after a stabbing; Devonte Tiger Williams, 26, died of multiple sharp force injuries in August 2024; and Dontavis Carter was found murdered in a pool of blood in January 2025, with contraband cellphone video capturing the aftermath. GPS reporting also documented that Jamie Shahan was attacked multiple times at the facility in early 2025, sustaining severe brain injuries and placed on life support.
The January 2026 riot claimed five lives in a single week, and subsequent months saw additional deaths whose causes were officially undetermined but raised alarm. The GDC stated that Courtney Davis and Isreal Jones showed no signs of foul play, yet their bodies were sent to the GBI crime lab for further examination—standard procedure but revealing of an environment where cause of death cannot be taken for granted. GPS records indicate that four separate medical neglect allegations were logged at the facility between January and May 2026, and the DOJ’s 2024 findings broadly faulted Georgia for providing constitutionally inadequate healthcare. Incarcerated witnesses report that insulin distribution was disrupted during the January lockdown, and medication passes were skipped.
Leadership, Accountability, and a Lockdown Without End
Washington State Prison has cycled through leadership amid the crisis. Veronica Stewart was promoted to warden effective June 2024, and Tamara Grier was appointed Deputy Warden of Security in November 2025, bringing over 22 years of corrections experience. Yet the prison’s trajectory has only worsened. The lockdown imposed after the January riot persisted for months, effectively halting programming, education, and family visits. GPS has collected multiple reports that commissary access was withheld from the general population except for those on work details—a condition families characterized as collective punishment, while inmates allegedly involved in the disturbance were transferred to other facilities and retained full privileges there. Legal mail delays, arbitrary tablet confiscations, and wifi-jamming have further severed communication.
A bright spot in the legal landscape came in March 2026, when a federal judge denied a motion to dismiss in Buttrum v. Herring, ruling that Georgia’s parole process for juvenile lifers may violate the Eighth Amendment—a decision that, while not specific to Washington State Prison, underscores judicial recognition of systemic constitutional failures in Georgia’s carceral system. Meanwhile, GPS records show that in January 2026 alone, four external complaints were filed about the facility with the DOJ Civil Rights Division and lawmakers. As the prison remains in an extended security posture, the question of whether its leadership can regain control—or whether the state will confront the structural decay and gang governance the DOJ has already documented—hangs over the 1,179 individuals still locked inside.
Sources: This analysis draws on reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 13WMAZ, WGXA, 41NBC, and Georgia Prisoners’ Speak; official GDC statements and DPH food-safety inspection records; federal court filings; and physical evidence, mortality data, and systemic findings collected by GPS staff. Inmate and family accounts, aggregated to protect sources, further informed the narrative.
Recent reports (26)
Source-attributed observations and allegations from news coverage and reports submitted to GPS. Each entry credits its source.
- ALLEGATION According to WGXA Published: May 27, 2026Luis Alfonso Ramirez directed a drug trafficking network from Washington State Prison using contraband cellphones.
"A Washington state prison inmate, Luis Alfonso Ramirez, has been indicted for allegedly directing a major fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking network from inside Georgia’s Washington State Prison using contraband cellphones, according to federal prosecutors."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published: Jan 21, 2025A GDC officer fatally shot inmate Jacob Cole Henson during a fight at a hospital while transporting him for medical treatment.
"He was fatally shot after getting into a fight with a GDC officer who had taken him to a hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered in a stabbing incident earlier that day, according to police."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to 11Alive Recorded by GPS: May 5, 2026GDC alleges the inmates involved in the deadly brawl were believed to be involved with gang activity.
"The inmates involved in Sunday's deadly brawl at Washington State Prison were believed to be involved with gang activity, according to a press release from the Georgia Department of Corrections."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to 13WMAZ Recorded by GPS: May 5, 2026The GDC alleged that the inmates involved in the deadly brawl were believed to be involved with gang activity.
"The inmates involved in Sunday's deadly brawl at Washington State Prison were believed to be involved with gang activity, according to a press release from the Georgia Department of Corrections."
Read source → - ALLEGATION According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published: Jan 12, 2026Buildings with maintenance issues enabled prisoners to strip materials to make weapons, locks didn't work allowing easy cell escapes, and understaffing left movements unmonitored.
"Consultants hired for a yearlong study in June 2024 by Gov. Brian Kemp found that buildings with maintenance issues enabled prisoners to strip off materials from walls and ceilings to make weapons. They could also easily leave cells because the locks didn't work. Understaffing meant there often were no officers around to monitor the movements, the consultants reported, and officers working alone reported being fearful of retribution if they enforced the rules."
Read source →
Timeline (85)
Source Articles (43)
Former leadership
Officials who previously held leadership roles at this facility.
| Role | Name | Tenure | Deaths this facility / career |
|---|---|---|---|
| WARDEN 1 (facility lead) | White, Jermaine M | 2018-01-01 → 2019-12-31 | — / 19 |
Location
Aerial View
Architecture documents what the building was designed to hold. See the system-wide receipts at gps.press/warehouse.