Banks, Mary L

Tenure Summary

Mary L. Banks joined the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2015 as a Corrections Officer and rose steadily through the ranks — Lieutenant (2016–2017), Captain (2018), Correctional Unit Manager (2019–2023) — before being appointed Deputy Warden at Autry State Prison, a position she has held since January 2024. No facility assignments are recorded for her pre-2024 roles. GPS records show six deaths at Autry State Prison during her tenure as Deputy Warden, all falling within cause category 6. The facility has also experienced notable infrastructure and safety incidents, including a Legionella contamination event that predates her deputy-warden appointment. Several federal civil cases list Banks as a defendant, though none appear directly tied to her GDC duties based on available records.

What Happened on Their Watch

Autry State Prison — Deputy Warden (January 2024–present)

GPS records attribute six deaths at Autry State Prison during Banks's tenure as Deputy Warden. All six fall under cause category 6; no additional notes or cause-of-death specifics are recorded in the structured data. The decedents and dates are: Alerick Campbell, 56, on December 22, 2024; Harvey Jack Woodard, 69, on May 8, 2025; Alton Anson Kelly, 61, and James Melvin Tudor, 86, both on August 23, 2025; Richard Merritt, 75, on October 20, 2025; and Chaudhry Abudl Rashid, 74, on November 11, 2025. Four of the six were 69 or older at the time of death. No lawsuits directly naming Banks in connection with these deaths appear in the records. Separately, GPS records document a gang-violence incident at the facility on January 11, 2026, attributed to unrest following a cell phone network shutdown, involving an individual identified as Ahmod Hatcher; this event falls outside Banks's recorded tenure window but at the same facility. Prior to Banks's appointment, Autry State Prison was closed in June 2023 for extensive plumbing and HVAC upgrades after Legionella bacteria was detected in the water system, with at least one inmate diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease; that closure predates her deputy-warden role.

Litigation

• Emerson v. Clayton County Georgia, No. 1:24-cv-04843 (N.D. Ga.), filed October 23, 2024 — pending. No outcome amount recorded.
• Hofschutle v. Sun Trust Banks Inc, No. 1:20-cv-01676 (N.D. Ga.), filed April 20, 2020 — terminated March 4, 2021. No outcome amount recorded.
• Lr Trust v. Rogers, No. 1:16-cv-04132 (N.D. Ga.), filed November 3, 2016 — terminated September 18, 2017. No outcome amount recorded.
• Drayton v. McIntosh County Georgia, No. 2:16-cv-00053 (S.D. Ga.), filed April 13, 2016 — terminated November 17, 2022. No outcome amount recorded.
• Drayton v. McIntosh County Georgia, No. 1:15-cv-04274 (N.D. Ga.), filed December 9, 2015 — terminated April 13, 2016. No outcome amount recorded.
• Brown v. SunTrust Banks Inc, No. 1:14-cv-02965 (N.D. Ga.), filed September 16, 2014 — terminated October 29, 2019. No outcome amount recorded.
• Stargel v. SunTrust Banks Inc, No. 1:12-cv-03822 (N.D. Ga.), filed October 31, 2012 — terminated September 26, 2019. No outcome amount recorded.
• Arnold v. Clayton County School District, No. 1:12-cv-03455 (N.D. Ga.), filed October 4, 2012 — terminated August 17, 2015. No outcome amount recorded.
• Fuller v. SunTrust Banks Inc, No. 1:11-cv-00784 (N.D. Ga.), filed March 11, 2011 — terminated July 20, 2020. No outcome amount recorded.

Note: The case names and defendant parties in the SunTrust Banks, Clayton County, and McIntosh County matters do not on their face indicate GDC-related claims. GPS records do not contain documentation establishing the nature of Banks's involvement in these cases.

Sources

• GPS records — deaths-during-tenure data, positions table, and facility event log for Autry State Prison
• CourtListener — federal docket records for all nine civil cases listed above (GAND and GASD)
• GPS intel events — Legionella contamination incident, Autry State Prison, June 2023; gang-violence incident, January 11, 2026

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 6, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.