Grier, Tamara

Tenure Summary

Tamara Grier entered the Georgia Department of Corrections as a correctional officer at Hancock State Prison in 2003 and returned there in 2015, rising through correctional sergeant (2016–2017) and correctional lieutenant (2018–2020, facility not listed in the records). She served as a correctional unit manager at Johnson State Prison in 2021–2022, then as unit manager back at Hancock through 2024 and into 2025. On November 16, 2025, Commissioner Tyrone Oliver announced her appointment as Deputy Warden of Security at Washington State Prison, a facility-deputy tier post the records show her holding through September 15, 2026.

All 14 deaths attributed to Grier's leadership tenure occurred at Washington State Prison. That tenure includes the deadliest single incident in these records: the January 11–12, 2026 disturbance that killed three incarcerated men and a fourth who died days later. GPS's lawsuit records list no case naming Grier as a defendant. (A separate federal parole-process matter, Buttrum v. Herring, is logged at the facility in March 2026; it does not name her.)

What happened on their watch

Washington State Prison — Deputy Warden of Security, Nov. 16, 2025 – Sept. 15, 2026 (14 deaths attributed)

The sampled records name 11 decedents, ranging in age from 23 to 75. The earliest deaths came within weeks of her appointment: Benjamin Horne, 51, on Dec. 15, 2025, and Taylor Allen Howard, 66, on Dec. 16, 2025. Dajhmere Ladaveon Hall, 30, was found dead Jan. 9, 2026.

On Jan. 11–12, 2026 (accounts date the disturbance to both days), a fight that began among inmates on a sidewalk spilled into a visitation area around 1:25 p.m. Teddy Jackson, 27, Jimmy Trammell, 42 — reportedly days short of release — and Ahmod Hatcher, 23, were killed; 13 inmates and one correctional officer were injured; staff regained control around 3 p.m. with non-lethal weapons. Silas Rodriguez Westbrook, 42, injured in the disturbance, died Jan. 17 upon arrival at Metro Reentry Facility, a death the GDC's Office of Professional Standards is investigating. Contemporaneous event logs variously recorded four and five riot-connected deaths. Per event records, GDC's response to a GPS open records request showed six officers on duty when the gang war broke out, and a Nov. 25, 2025 record — nine days after Grier's appointment — documents a staffing collapse at Dooly and Washington State Prisons with housing units lacking an officer for hours or entire shifts.

Deaths continued through 2026: Frank Smith, 75 (May 6); Deshawn Poole, 34 (June 9); Courtney Davis, 43 (June 13); and Isreal Moses Jones, 68 (June 14). GDC called the June causes undetermined with no signs of altercation or foul play and sent both bodies to the GBI Crime Lab; the Office of Professional Standards is investigating both, which the department describes as standard procedure.

The GDC characterized the January disturbance as suspected gang-affiliated, and in April 2026 announced 12 inmates charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, gang participation, and unlawful acts of violence. Former inmates told 13WMAZ (May 5, 2026) that gangs, chronic understaffing, missing programs, mold, and poor medical care — and, per former inmate Brandon, absent staff response in emergencies — made violence predictable. A family member reported roughly 50 days of continuous lockdown with commissary withheld (Feb. 22, 2026); another reported privileged legal mail held about eight working days beyond the SOP 227.06 window (May 9, 2026); another detailed food, mold, medical, and visitation concerns (March 8, 2026). WGXA reported a federal indictment alleging inmate Luis Alfonso Ramirez ran a drug-trafficking network from the prison via contraband cellphones (May 27, 2026). State Rep. Billy Hitchens alleged no meaningful progress on cell-door lock jamming (41NBC, Jan. 23, 2026), and 41NBC cited the DOJ's 2024 finding that Georgia officials were "deliberately indifferent" to unchecked violence, drugs, extortion, and sexual abuse. Trammell's brother alleged in WGXA reporting (Jan. 13, 2026) that the prison was responsible for the death and demanded answers.

Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — January 2026 riot coverage, April 2026 murder charges, DOJ findings, Kemp-commissioned consultant study
• 13WMAZ — former-inmate allegations (Brandon, Earl White); 12 inmates charged in the riot
• WGXA — Ramirez drug-trafficking indictment; fourth death; Trammell family allegation
• 11Alive — GDC gang-affiliation statement
• 41NBC — Rep. Hitchens allegation; DOJ 2024 "deliberate indifference" finding; fourth death
• WFXL — charges against 12 inmates
• Georgia Department of Corrections statements and Office of Professional Standards investigations
• GPS case submissions — family reports on lockdown, legal mail, and facility conditions
• Gov. Kemp-commissioned consultant study (commissioned June 2024)

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Sep 23, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.