Home › Intelligence › Personnel Accountability › Beasley, Jacob
Beasley, Jacob
Status: active
Profile written May 31, 2026
This profile reflects positional accountability — this individual held the leadership roles shown during the dates shown, during which the listed deaths or lawsuits occurred. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding of personal culpability for any specific incident.
Tenure Summary
Jacob Beasley began his career with the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2007 as a correctional officer at Rogers State Prison and rose through the ranks to become Warden at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in 2025. During his leadership postings—as Deputy Warden at Telfair State Prison, Valdosta State Prison, and as Warden at Smith State Prison and GDCP—GPS records attribute a total of 54 deaths to the facilities under his command. The largest clusters occurred at Smith (17 deaths) and GDCP (16 deaths), with additional fatalities at Telfair (14) and Valdosta (7). Several deaths were homicides documented by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation, and at least three federal lawsuits name Beasley as a defendant. Systemic understaffing, contraband-driven violence, and severe overcrowding—particularly at GDCP—are well-documented in reporting and court records that coincide with his tenures.What happened on their watch
Telfair State Prison – Deputy Warden (2019–2021) GPS records attribute 14 deaths to Beasley’s tenure at Telfair. Per the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution, at least five were homicides: Aldrich Cain died from multiple stab wounds (April 2020), Marcus Pearson from multiple stab wounds (May 2020), Louis Garcia‑Palacio from blunt impact head injuries (July 2020), Cedric Johnson from strangulation (March 2020), and Juan Arguello‑Revelles from stabbing (May 2021). William Lumpkin’s death was officially recorded as natural causes, but a witness report submitted to GPS alleges that medical staff refused to evaluate him after he complained of chest pain, characterizing it as medical neglect. The AJC later reported that Telfair was missing 76 percent of its essential workforce, leaving only 36 officers to supervise 1,400 prisoners, and that Sergeant Desiree Briley was charged with smuggling methamphetamine into the facility for an inmate.Valdosta State Prison – Deputy Warden (2022)
Seven deaths are attributed to Beasley’s year as deputy warden, per GPS records. Two were homicides: Hakeem Williams, 27, was stabbed to death by his cellmate in February 2022 after, according to the AJC, an officer placed him in the cell while handcuffed with an unrestrained attacker; Dexter Burnett, 35, died from a stab wound to the torso in September 2022. The AJC also reported that at least six correctional officers at Valdosta aided inmate Kydetrius Thomas in a scheme to smuggle drug‑soaked paper, pills, and tobacco.
Smith State Prison – Warden (2023–2024)
Beasley’s wardenship at Smith spanned 2023 and 2024, during which GPS records document 17 deaths. The AJC’s homicide list includes Randy Wynn (March 2023, homicide), Anthony Zino (April 2023, asphyxia by neck compression; body reportedly decomposed for days before discovery), Quenton Mayo (August 2023, stab wounds to neck), Justin Smith (July 2023, blunt force trauma to head), Shaquan Boykins (May 2023, blunt impact head injuries), Calvin Denson (April 2023, stab wound to chest), Donquerius Mahone (February 2024, homicide), and James Adams (November 2023, blunt force trauma to head and neck). The AJC described Smith State Prison as one of the most understaffed, violent, and dysfunctional facilities in the state, with about two‑thirds of correctional officer positions unfilled. A WTOC report during his tenure said a former employee was charged with sexually assaulting a corrections employee. While a subsequent indictment targeted former Warden Brian Adams for a contraband conspiracy, the systemic contraband issues and staff‑driven smuggling described in the AJC were evident at Smith during Beasley’s watch.
Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison – Warden (2025–present)
GPS records attribute 16 deaths to GDCP since Beasley became Warden in January 2025. William Rhodes, 38, died by homicide in February 2025, according to his death certificate. Christopher Lee, 19, died in January 2026; a user report submitted to GPS alleges he was placed in a stripped cell over a weekend and died from cold or exposure, with staff accounts gathered from multiple employees. GPS records further note that during Beasley’s wardenship, GDCP held 4,540 incarcerated people in a facility originally designed for 800—568 percent of design capacity. The AJC reported that a newly convicted inmate possessed a homemade shank and a contraband cell phone within days of arrival, highlighting security failures.
Litigation
- Jackson v. Beasley, 4:23‑cv‑00198 (M.D. Ga.), filed December 8, 2023, terminated January 8, 2024.
- Grier v. Jacob Beasley, 1:25‑cv‑00074 (N.D. Ga.), filed January 7, 2025, pending.
- Hamilton v. Beasley, 6:25‑cv‑00057 (S.D. Ga.), filed July 22, 2025, pending.
Sources
- Atlanta Journal‑Constitution — multiple homicide reports and investigations into deaths at Telfair, Valdosta, Smith, and GDCP; reporting on contraband smuggling schemes, understaffing, and facility dysfunction
- The Georgia Virtue — indictment and coverage of the Smith State Prison contraband conspiracy underscoring systemic problems at the facility
- WTOC — report on a former Smith State Prison employee charged with sexual assault during Beasley’s tenure
- GPS records — position history, facility‑specific death totals, individual death records including user‑submitted reports on Christopher Lee’s death and the overcrowding data at GDCP
- Court records (PACER/CourtListener) — Jackson v. Beasley, Grier v. Jacob Beasley, Hamilton v. Beasley
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Warden | GEORGIA DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION STATE PRISON | 2025-07-16 → present |
| WARDEN 3 | GEORGIA DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION STATE PRISON | 2025-01-01 → present |
| WARDEN 3 | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2023-01-01 → 2024-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | VALDOSTA STATE PRISON | 2022-01-01 → 2022-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → 2021-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | HAYS STATE PRISON | 2018-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | VALDOSTA STATE PRISON | 2017-01-01 → 2017-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL SERGEANT | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 |
| CORRECTION ADMINISTRATION | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 | |
| Unit Manager | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2014-01-01 → 2014-12-31 |
| Lieutenant | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2012-01-01 → 2012-12-31 |
| Sergeant | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2009-01-01 → 2009-12-31 |
| Correctional Officer | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2007-01-01 → 2007-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:25-cv-07012 | GAND | 2025-12-09 | terminated |
| 1:25-cv-06100 | GAND | 2025-10-24 | terminated |
| 5:25-cv-00356 | GAMD | 2025-08-25 | pending |
| 6:25-cv-00057 | GASD | 2025-07-22 | pending |
| 1:25-cv-03191 | GAND | 2025-06-06 | terminated |
| 1:25-cv-00074 | GAND | 2025-01-07 | pending |
| 4:23-cv-00198 | GAMD | 2023-12-08 | terminated |
| 4:21-cv-00113 | GAND | 2021-06-15 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
54 people died at facilities under Beasley, Jacob's leadership.
Submit a correction
If you are the named individual or an authorized representative and dispute information on this page, submit details below. Substantiated corrections are applied promptly. Disputes that remain unresolved are flagged on the profile.