Hermann, Shelley Elizabeth

Tenure Summary

Shelley Elizabeth Hermann began her Georgia Department of Corrections career in 2010 as a correctional officer at Pulaski State Prison, then spent more than a decade at Dodge State Prison in administrative and financial support roles — maintenance secretary (2011), financial operations generalist (2015 and 2017–2020), GCI plant manager (2021), American Correctional Association facility compliance specialist (2022) and business support analyst (2023–2024). In January 2025 she returned to Pulaski as Deputy Warden, and on April 16, 2025 she became Deputy Warden of Administration at Pulaski, the post she is listed as holding through 2026.

According to Georgia Prisoners' Speak's records, nine deaths are attributed to her leadership tenures, all nine at Pulaski State Prison. The recorded cause categories break down as four deaths under category 1, four under category 6 and one under category 2; decedents ranged in age from 28 to 66. No lawsuit naming Hermann as a defendant is recorded, and GPS's news index contains no report that names her directly.

What happened on their watch

Pulaski State Prison — Deputy Warden (Jan. 1, 2025 – Apr. 15, 2025). One death is recorded during this posting: Stephanie Sabrina Gary, 55, on March 5, 2025, recorded under cause category 1.

Pulaski State Prison — Deputy Warden of Administration (Apr. 16, 2025 – present). Eight deaths are recorded during this tenure, per Georgia Prisoners' Speak records:

• Esmeralda Carillo Hernandez, 50 — May 22, 2025 (category 1)
• Candace Lajon Morgan, 41 — June 11, 2025 (category 1)
• Ronika Lashawn Carswell, 50 — Dec. 12, 2025 (category 6)
• Denecia Nichelle Randall, 28 — March 30, 2026 (category 2)
• Karen Michelle Lindsey, 59 — May 24, 2026 (category 6)
• Tulia Eustache, 66 — June 3, 2026 (category 6)
• Monika Yvette Bradley, 43 — July 5, 2026 (category 6)
• Kristi Ray Perkins, 59 — July 12 (the decedent entry lists 2026; one related event record carries a 2025-07-12 date), category 1

On July 14, 2026, the GDC's Office of Professional Standards opened investigations into the deaths of Perkins and Bradley as standard procedure, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched its own inquiry to determine their causes of death, according to the event records. The Perkins death record states the cause of death is undetermined and that officials reported no signs of an altercation or foul play.

Separately, a July 12 event record states that Perkins's death was recorded at Pulaski with no reported sign of altercation or foul play.

Also during this tenure, on Feb. 10, 2026, Georgia Prisoners' Speak received multiple reports describing an alleged pattern under newly appointed Pulaski warden Wendy Jackson — intimidation, retaliation, retaliatory housing, extended lockdowns, staff intimidation and a non-functional grievance process. Those reports name Jackson, not Hermann; GPS lists Hermann's role at the time as Deputy Warden of Administration. On April 6, 2026, a family member submitted an allegation to GPS that an incarcerated person at Pulaski was severely assaulted by other incarcerated individuals and that a prior warning call to the facility went unaddressed in the period leading up to the assault — a claim attributed to the family member, not verified by GPS records.

Sources

• Georgia Prisoners' Speak — personnel and death records for Shelley Elizabeth Hermann; facility death entries for Pulaski State Prison, 2025–2026; report submissions of Feb. 10, 2026 (alleged pattern under Warden Wendy Jackson) and Apr. 6, 2026 (family assault allegation)
• GDC Office of Professional Standards — investigations opened July 14, 2026 into the deaths of Kristi Perkins and Monika Bradley
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation — cause-of-death investigation into the Perkins and Bradley deaths, July 14, 2026
• Court records — no lawsuit listing Hermann as a defendant is recorded in the provided data

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.