Jackson, Kendric

Tenure Summary

Kendric Jackson's career with the Georgia Department of Corrections spans more than a decade, progressing from a Correctional Officer at Smith State Prison in 2015 to his current appointment as Warden at Valdosta State Prison in June 2026. During his tenure in leadership roles — as Deputy Warden at Dodge State Prison, Telfair State Prison, and later as Warden at Calhoun State Prison — a total of 18 deaths were attributed to the facilities under his watch, per GPS records. The deaths are distributed as 3 at Dodge State Prison, 8 at Telfair State Prison, and 7 at Calhoun State Prison.

While Jackson himself has not been the target of public allegations or civil suits related to these deaths, his leadership postings coincided with facilities that were the subject of federal investigations into systemic violence, severe understaffing, and contraband operations. Most recently, during his tenure as Warden at Calhoun State Prison, a mass transfer of 87 lifers to close-security facilities occurred, according to GPS event records.

What happened on their watch

Dodge State Prison — Deputy Warden (2022): Three deaths were recorded at the facility during Jackson’s year as Deputy Warden. According to GPS records, these included the death of 21-year-old Hezekiah Cuyler on September 14, 2022, ruled a homicide from blunt force trauma to the head by an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation, and the death of Douglas Anthony Forts on June 2, 2022, attributed to acute traumatic amputation of a finger during a fight. Arnold Merle McDonald, 63, also died on December 22, 2022; his cause of death was classified as category 6 (other) in GPS records.

Telfair State Prison — Deputy Warden (2023): Eight deaths were recorded at Telfair during Jackson’s tenure there. Several drew external scrutiny. An AJC investigation documented the December 22, 2023, death of 24-year-old Kwesi Jamal Stultz, ruled a homicide from multiple head injuries. The same investigation reported that Deahmoz Oshmic Floyd, 29, was stabbed in the neck and bled to death on April 18, 2023, with a claim filed against the state alleging he was attacked by several prisoners when no staff were present in the dorm. GPS records show the death of Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano, 27, on July 20, 2023, after being left in an outdoor cage for five hours in a 105-degree heat index; his internal temperature reached 107°F. The remaining four deaths were classified under category 6, per GPS records. During this period, a broader DOJ investigation into Georgia prisons (published 2026) cited systemic failures; an AJC opinion piece separately noted Telfair was missing 76% of its essential workforce, leaving only 36 officers for 1,400 prisoners. A separate allegation from the AJC detailed that Sergeant Desiree Briley helped an inmate smuggle meth into Telfair for at least two years, though this activity predates Jackson’s specific posting.

Calhoun State Prison — Warden / Warden 1 (Dec. 2024–May 2026): Seven deaths occurred under Jackson’s leadership as Warden. GPS records show these included Theodore Roundtree (January 19, 2025), whose death was classified as a homicide from multiple stab wounds, and Matthew Len Nutt (December 21, 2025), described in a user report as a homicide "in the hole." Jimmy McMullen, 67, died on January 28, 2026, after a long battle with cancer, according to a social media source cited in GPS records. Additional deaths were recorded for Charles Owens (ruptured abdominal aneurysm), Gary Bernard Duncan, Tyler Jackson, and Thomas Haugabook, all classified under category 6, per GPS records. During this tenure, a DOJ report noted a February 2023 death at Calhoun from dehydration with renal failure in a restrictive-housing cell, and a homicide of a 21-year-old stabbed by a cellmate, though those dates fall before Jackson’s wardenship. The AJC reported that inmate Edwin Murillo ordered an outside murder from Calhoun. GPS event records also document the conviction of two inmates for running a nationwide wire fraud operation from Calhoun using contraband cell phones, and a systematic transfer of 87 lifers to close-security facilities in early 2026, attributed to Jackson’s tenure.

Valdosta State Prison — Warden (June 2026 onward): Jackson was promoted to Warden at Valdosta State Prison on June 1, 2026, per GPS records. At the time of writing, no deaths under his leadership have been recorded there. The facility has a documented history of violence and staff misconduct, including the fatal stabbing of Hakeem Williams in 2022 and Operation Skyhawk arrests of multiple officers for contraband smuggling, but all such events predate Jackson’s arrival.

Litigation

Kendric Jackson is named as a defendant in three lawsuits, all filed during his earlier staff-level positions at Smith State Prison and terminated without a listed outcome amount, according to court records:

• Hall v. Mcghee (1:15-cv-00428) — Filed February 12, 2015, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia; terminated January 10, 2020.
• Daker v. Ward (7:20-cv-00113) — Filed June 11, 2020, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia; terminated November 3, 2021.
• Daker v. Oliver Filing Restriction Per 59 Order (1:25-cv-03191) — Filed June 6, 2025, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia; terminated March 30, 2026.

Sources

• GPS records — personnel timeline, death attribution totals, decedent details, and event logs
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — multiple homicide investigations (Stultz, Floyd, Forts, Cuyler); DOJ investigation synthesis; opinion coverage of Telfair staffing crisis; Op Skyhawk/Valdosta contraband reporting
• Daker v. Ward, Daker v. Oliver, Hall v. Mcghee — CourtListener dockets
• WTOC — sexual-assault allegation at Smith State Prison (not related to Jackson)

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 31, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.