Johnson, Aiyesha

Tenure Summary

Aiyesha Johnson's GDC record begins in 2013 as a Correctional Officer II at Appling Integrated Treatment Facility, followed by administrative support roles in 2017, 2018 (Georgia State Prison) and 2020, a Financial Operations Generalist I post at Bacon Transitional Center in 2021, a return to Appling as Financial Ops Generalist 3 in 2023, and Accounting Technician 3 positions in 2024 and 2025. On January 16, 2026 she became Deputy Warden of Administration at Ware State Prison — the only facility-leadership post in her record.

GPS's death registry attributes 13 deaths to her leadership tenure, all of them at Ware State Prison: four homicides, two suicides, two natural/medical deaths and five in which the cause is listed as unknown/pending. The records contain no lawsuit naming her as a defendant. She is listed as active.

What happened on their watch

Ware State Prison — Deputy Warden of Administration, from January 16, 2026

The registry's first death in her tenure came eight days after she took the post. Carlton Atkins Jones died January 24, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical, age 55. Christopher Henry died February 12, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Homicide, age 48. Cody Humphrey died February 21, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical, age 72.

From April onward, inmate reports logged by GPS describe repeated violence at the facility: a stabbing that produced lockdown conditions disrupting movement or releases (April 8), stabbings on April 20 and April 27 — the latter with people transported to outside hospitals — five people stabbed on May 15, gang-related violence with multiple injured and several sent to an outside hospital (May 21), multiple stabbings and a gang-related disturbance alongside indications Ware and other facilities were on lockdown (May 22), and "multiple killings and stabbings," with beatings reportedly not counted as formal incidents (May 23). A May 18 messaging-group report described a statewide lockdown stemming from a conflict between rival gangs.

Three more deaths followed in that period. Anthony Terrell Grover died May 11, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Homicide, age 25. Johnathan Cleo Hardman-Simmons died May 20, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Suicide, age 36. Justin Dean Pulley died May 20, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Homicide, age 48. Kojack Junior Thomas died May 31, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Homicide, age 27. GPS's event log records that GDC's Office of Professional Standards was leading the investigation into Thomas's death and that his body was sent to the GBI crime lab.

Over the summer, five deaths were recorded with cause unknown or pending. David Randolph Newcomer died June 30, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 85. Reberto Baez died July 9, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 69. David Miller Newman died July 15, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 60. Percy Lee Burdine died August 6, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 44. David Allan Dowling died August 9, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 69. Inmate reports from the same span describe a guard stabbed (July 10) and a gang-related altercation in which multiple incarcerated people were stabbed and at least one was reported in serious condition (August 3).

David Williams died September 13, 2026, at Ware State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Suicide. A Telegram group report logged the same date described an incarcerated person reportedly dying by suicide days after being placed in segregation, and questioned the circumstances; a separate report that day described a person stating they expected violence and threatening to fight. A September 18 report indicated Ware was off lockdown. GPS's event log also records July contraband seizures and a traffic stop involving items allegedly destined for Ware, reported by the Butts County Sheriff's Office.

Separately, a January 28, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution report logged during her tenure states that GDC publicly described the August 1, 2020 Ware incident as merely a "disturbance," while internal records describe hostage-taking, escape attempts, assaults and use of force. That incident predates her tenure. A March 17, 2026 federal court ruling that Georgia's parole process for juvenile lifers may violate the Eighth Amendment, naming Janice Buttrum, also appears in the event log for the facility.

Sources

• GPS death registry — cause classifications and decedent records for 13 Ware State Prison deaths, January–September 2026
• GPS inmate reports (case submissions relayed from incarcerated people, family members and messaging groups) — stabbings, gang violence, lockdowns and the September 13 suicide report
• GPS event log — GDC Office of Professional Standards/GBI referral in the Kojack Junior Thomas death; Butts County Sheriff's Office contraband statements
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — January 28, 2026 reporting on GDC's characterization of the August 1, 2020 Ware incident
• Federal court ruling record — March 17, 2026 ruling on parole process for juvenile lifers

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Oct 18, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.