Copeland, Tanja

Tenure Summary

Tanja Copeland has served at Autry State Prison in a deputy-warden capacity since at least June 2024, holding the title Deputy Warden of Administration and, beginning January 2025, Deputy Warden. GPS records show six distinct individuals died at Autry State Prison during Copeland's tenure there, all falling under cause-category 6. No lawsuits naming Copeland as a defendant appear in GPS records, and no intel reports are linked to her directly.

What Happened on Their Watch

Autry State Prison — Deputy Warden of Administration / Deputy Warden (June 2024–present)

GPS records attribute six deaths at Autry State Prison to the period of Copeland's deputy-warden tenure. Alerick Campbell, 56, died December 22, 2024. Harvey Jack Woodard, 69, died May 8, 2025. On August 23, 2025, two individuals died on the same date: Alton Anson Kelly, 61, and James Melvin Tudor, 86. Richard Merritt, 75, died October 20, 2025. Chaudhry Abudl Rashid, 74, died November 11, 2025. All six deaths are recorded under cause-category 6; GPS records include no additional notes on circumstances. A notable age pattern is present: four of the six decedents were 69 or older, and two deaths occurred on the same calendar date. GPS records also document a facility-level incident on January 11, 2026 — gang violence at Autry State Prison attributed to a cell phone network shutdown — that falls within Copeland's ongoing tenure, though GPS records associate that event with a separate named individual, Ahmod Hatcher, rather than with Copeland. Prior to Copeland's arrival, Autry State Prison was closed in June 2023 for Legionella bacteria contamination in its water system, requiring plumbing and HVAC infrastructure upgrades; GPS records indicate at least one inmate was diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease during that episode. That closure predates Copeland's documented tenure at the facility.

Sources

• GPS records — deaths attributed to Autry State Prison during Copeland's deputy-warden tenure, 2024–2025
• GPS records — intel events: Legionella contamination and facility closure, Autry State Prison, June 2023; gang violence incident, January 2026
• GPS records — positions table: Deputy Warden of Administration (June 16, 2024–present); Deputy Warden (January 1, 2025–December 31, 2025 salary year)

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.