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Jackson, Tarra L Tomlin
Status: active
Profile written May 31, 2026
This profile reflects positional accountability — this individual held the leadership roles shown during the dates shown, during which the listed deaths or lawsuits occurred. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding of personal culpability for any specific incident.
Tenure Summary
Tarra L Tomlin Jackson began a career with the Georgia Department of Corrections as a behavioral health counselor in 2015 and rose through unit-manager roles before being appointed Deputy Warden at Washington State Prison in 2021, a post held continuously through the present. GPS records attribute 37 deaths to the facility during Jackson’s tenure as deputy warden—every death counted in the data set occurred at Washington State Prison while Jackson held that leadership position. The period was marked by multiple homicides, a mass-casualty gang-related riot in January 2026 that left four dead and over a dozen injured, and a federal civil-rights lawsuit naming Jackson as a defendant.What happened on their watch
Jackson became Deputy Warden in 2021 at Washington State Prison, a medium-security facility in Davisboro. From 2022 onward, deaths occurred in patterns that drew investigative scrutiny. Among the 37 fatalities recorded, GPS data show at least six classified as homicides (cause category 3), including Michael Lee Jackson (blunt-force injuries, per the AJC) and Marquis Reshawn Jefferson (stab wounds, per the AJC) in 2022; Devonte Tiger Williams (sharp-force injuries, per the AJC) and Jacob Cole Henson (gunshot wounds—the AJC reports a GDC officer fatally shot Henson during an outside hospital transport) in 2024; and Dontavious Carter (puncture wound to the heart) and Michael Lareco Daniel in 2025. One death in early 2026 is noted as a suicide by hanging. The majority of remaining deaths are logged under cause category 6—often indicative of natural or unclassified medical events—including men as young as 22 and elderly into their late 70s.The most severe single incident unfolded on January 11, 2026, when a gang-affiliated brawl erupted around 1:25 p.m., spreading from a sidewalk into a visitation area. Three men—Teddy Dewayne Jackson (27), Ahmod Dewayne Hatcher (23), and Jimmy Lee Trammell (42)—were killed during the melee, and 13 other incarcerated people plus one correctional officer were injured. Silas Rodrigiouz Westbrook, 42, died days later after being transferred for medical care, which family reports and news coverage suggest was inadequate. Twelve inmates were subsequently charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, gang participation, and unlawful acts of violence. The prison was placed on lockdown; family reports later noted a continuous lockdown lasting roughly 50 days.
Parallel to the riot, the same facility was the alleged hub of a drug trafficking conspiracy. In May 2026, a federal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the GBI indicted inmate Luis Alfonso Ramirez and six others for running a methamphetamine and fentanyl operation from Washington State Prison using contraband cellphones, according to WGXA. During Jackson’s tenure, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on broader systemic conditions at the prison: buildings with maintenance issues allowed prisoners to strip materials for weapons, non-functioning locks enabled cell escapes, and severe understaffing left movements unmonitored. A 2024 DOJ report, cited by multiple outlets, described Georgia prison officials as “deliberately indifferent” to unchecked violence, drug use, extortion, and sexual abuse. A consultant study commissioned by Gov. Kemp in 2024 reached similar conclusions, finding that officers working alone feared retribution for enforcing rules. Former inmates interviewed by 13WMAZ after the riot alleged overcrowded dorms, no programming, mold, rats, and daily knife violence with no staff intervention.
Litigation
- Ridley v. Jackson, No. 5:22-cv-00229 (GAMD), filed June 24, 2022, terminated October 13, 2022. GPS records show the case was closed without a recorded monetary outcome.
Sources
- Georgia Prisoners’ Speak intelligence database — personnel and death records for Tarra L Tomlin Jackson (Deputy Warden tenure, cause-of-death categories, lawsuit docket)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — homicide investigations detailing causes of death for Michael Lee Jackson, Marquis Jefferson, Devonte Williams, Jacob Henson; reports on the January 2026 riot, systemic failures, DOJ findings, and consultant study
- 13WMAZ / 11Alive / WGXA / WFXL / 41NBC — coverage of the Washington State Prison gang disturbance, inmate identifications, subsequent charges, and former inmate allegations of neglect
- Federal court docket (CourtListener) — Ridley v. Jackson, case no. 5:22-cv-00229
- WGXA — report on the Luis Alfonso Ramirez drug trafficking indictment from Washington State Prison
- Family reports submitted to GPS — lockdown duration, legal mail delay, and conditions concerns
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | WASHINGTON STATE PRISON | 2021-01-01 → present |
| CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2018-01-01 → 2020-12-31 | |
| BEHAVIORAL HLTH COUNSELOR SPV | 2017-01-01 → 2017-12-31 | |
| BEHAVIORAL HLTH COUNSELOR 3 | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 | |
| BEH HEALTH/COUNSELOR (WL) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:22-cv-00229 | GAMD | 2022-06-24 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
37 people died at facilities under Jackson, Tarra L Tomlin's leadership.
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