Foster, Denisha Gauze

Tenure Summary

Denisha Gauze Foster began her GDC career as a correctional officer at Wilcox State Prison in 2007, then returned to the system at Telfair State Prison in 2021 as a Unit Manager. She remained at Telfair through successive promotions — CSM Correctional Unit Manager (2023–2024) and Deputy Warden, then Deputy Warden of Security beginning January 16, 2025. GPS records show 39 deaths attributed to Telfair State Prison across Foster's combined unit-supervisor and facility-deputy tenures there, spanning 2021 through at least early 2026. Among those, at least 13 are classified as homicides and multiple others remain pending cause determination. Two federal civil lawsuits were filed naming Foster as a defendant during her unit-manager tenure, both terminated within months of filing.

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What Happened on Their Watch

Wilcox State Prison — Correctional Officer (2007)
Foster held a staff-tier position at Wilcox in 2007; GPS records attribute no deaths to her tenure there. Intel reports associated with Wilcox — though not dated to 2007 — include an AJC allegation that a family member reported guards at Wilcox were tied to gangs, and a separate AJC report that hundreds of GDC employees system-wide were arrested for smuggling contraband. A DOJ report, referenced in AJC coverage, found Georgia's gang-run prisons were riddled with regular violence and sexual assault; that finding is systemic and not specific to Foster's 2007 posting.

Telfair State Prison — Unit Manager (2021)
Foster held a unit-supervisor role at Telfair for calendar year 2021. GPS records attribute three deaths to this period. Juan Carlos Arguello-Revelles, 37, died May 7, 2021 from a stabbing; according to the AJC Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation, incident report data shows eleven other inmates were involved. Jeremy Williams, 29, died March 16, 2021 (cause category unspecified in GPS records). William Hiram Lumpkin, 74, died August 17, 2021; a GPS user report classifies the cause as natural, but the same report alleges the treating physician refused to see him that morning and characterizes the death as possible medical neglect — that characterization is an allegation, not a confirmed finding. Also during 2021, Democratic legislators including Sen. Josh McLaurin were turned away from an unannounced tour of Telfair, per GPS records.

Telfair State Prison — CSM Correctional Unit Manager (2023–2024)
Foster served as CSM Correctional Unit Manager across 2023 and 2024, earning $63,272 in 2023 and $66,310 in 2024 per GPS salary records. GPS records attribute 22 deaths to Telfair during this combined period.

Among confirmed homicides during this span, according to the AJC Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation: Deahmoz Oshmic Floyd, 29, died April 18, 2023 from exsanguination caused by a stab wound to the neck; a claim filed against the state alleged he was stabbed by several prisoners at a time when no prison staff were present in the dorm, and a separate claim alleged Floyd had renounced his gang affiliation, making him a prior target. Kwesi Jamal Stultz, 24, died December 22, 2023 from multiple injuries to the head. Joey Lebron Kilgore, 45, died February 29, 2024 in a homicide. Lamar Jarmaine Wilson, 32, died June 1, 2024; GDC told the AJC he died of injuries suffered during a fight. Zoumana Madiou Sarre, 23, died July 5, 2024 from multiple sharp force injuries to the neck and torso, per the AJC. Henry Earl Crump, 41, died September 2, 2024; AJC incident report data shows a homicide. Eric Leigh Whitehead, 29, died September 18, 2024; GDC told a TV station he died after a fight with another inmate, per the AJC. Aaron Joshua Smith, 32, was found stabbed in his cell December 19, 2024, per 13WMAZ.

A notable non-homicide death during this period: Juan Carlos Ramirez, 27, died July 20, 2023 after officers left him in an outdoor recreation cage for five hours during a 105-degree heat index day; he arrived at the hospital with an internal body temperature of 107°F. GDC reported his death as natural causes. GPS records classify this as a heat/environmental death (cause category 7).

Also during this tenure, a Telfair sergeant, Desiree Briley, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to helping a prisoner smuggle methamphetamine into the facility for at least two years, per AJC reporting. The AJC separately reported that Telfair was missing 76% of its essential workforce, leaving approximately 36 correctional officers to supervise roughly 1,400 prisoners — a figure later updated to 79% vacancy (32 officers against a required 153), per AJC reporting on a subsequent period.

Two federal lawsuits were filed naming Foster as a defendant during this tenure: Thomas v. White (S.D. Ga., No. 3:23-cv-00100, filed December 21, 2023, terminated February 23, 2024) and Hall v. McFarlane (S.D. Ga., No. 3:23-cv-00094, filed November 29, 2023, terminated March 4, 2024). No outcome amounts are recorded in GPS records for either case.

Telfair State Prison — Deputy Warden / Deputy Warden of Security (January 15, 2025–present)
Foster was promoted to Deputy Warden on January 15, 2025, then to Deputy Warden of Security on January 16, 2025, at an annualized salary of $74,172 per GPS records. GPS records attribute 17 deaths to Telfair during her facility-deputy tenure through early 2026.

Confirmed homicides include: Deandre Moody, age not recorded, died January 28–29, 2025; the Telfair County Coroner record lists cause and manner pending autopsy, with circumstances described as an assault by strangulation in the shower. Ezra Dangelo Ford, 21, died March 25, 2025; the coroner record describes him found unresponsive on a mattress in the B2 housing unit, with injury listed as assault/stabbing. Lester James Smith, 45, died June 2, 2025; the coroner record lists cause as stab wound to torso, manner homicide, stabbed in a common area at 22:01. Malindzo Eddy Hatcher, 42, died July 21, 2025; the coroner record lists cause as stab wound to the chest, manner homicide, stabbed in a common area and walked to his cell where he died — the incident was captured on video, per the coroner record. His uncle was quoted by 13WMAZ and WGXA stating, "He didn't have a death sentence but received one." Preston C. Phelps, 28, died December 13, 2025; the Telfair County Coroner record describes a gang fight at 23:12 in which the victim was stabbed by others; GDC's Office of Professional Standards opened a homicide investigation. A GPS user report alleges the incident involved a conflict between Muslim and Blood gang factions — that is an allegation, not a confirmed finding.

Additional deaths during this period include: Robert Baker, 45, died October 12, 2025; the coroner record lists cause as hanging, manner suicide. Tony Morales Adame, 32, died June 25–26, 2025; GPS classifies the cause as drug overdose, though the coroner form does not state cause or manner. Eric Bernard Haynes, 51, died January 21, 2026; GPS records note heart attack. Kenneth George Hinton, 41, died January 2, 2026, and Tavares Zavoyd Atwell, 41, died March 10, 2026 — both listed as cause category 6 (unspecified/pending) in GPS records. Multiple other deaths during this tenure remain pending cause determination per coroner records.

GPS intel records from early 2026 include unverified Telegram-relay reports of a stabbing incident at Telfair resulting in a lockdown, a separate report of a fight between two groups following a lockdown, and a report of an inmate having a finger severed by another inmate in an adjacent unit. These are unverified incident reports, not confirmed findings.

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Litigation

• Thomas v. White, No. 3:23-cv-00100 (S.D. Ga.), filed December 21, 2023; terminated February 23, 2024. No outcome amount recorded. (CourtListener)
• Hall v. McFarlane, No. 3:23-cv-00094 (S.D. Ga.), filed November 29, 2023; terminated March 4, 2024. No outcome amount recorded. (CourtListener)

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Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation (multiple homicide cause-of-death attributions at Telfair SP, 2021–2024); reporting on staffing vacancies at Telfair SP; reporting on Sgt. Desiree Briley drug trafficking conviction; opinion coverage of GDC systemic conditions; 2025 homicide rate reporting
• 13WMAZ / WTOC / WGXA — reporting on deaths of Preston Phelps (Dec. 2025) and Malindzo Hatcher (Jul. 2025) at Telfair SP
• Telfair County Coroner Records — authoritative cause/manner determinations and circumstance narratives for multiple 2025 deaths at Telfair SP (GPS source: `~/Coroner-Records/2025/Telfair-2025.pdf`)
• GPS Records / User Reports — deaths of William Lumpkin (Aug. 2021), Eric Haynes (Jan. 2026), and others; incident classification and salary data
• CourtListener — Thomas v. White (3:23-cv-00100) and Hall v. McFarlane (3:23-cv-00094), S.D. Ga.
• U.S. Department of Justice — report on gang-run Georgia prisons (referenced in AJC coverage, dated to 2024)
• Solitary Watch — allegations of tactical officer rampage and heat shutoff at Telfair SP (Dec. 2010; predates Foster's tenure)
• GPS Intel / Telegram Relay — unverified incident reports at Telfair SP (2026)

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 10, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.