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Johnson, Edwina L
Status: active
Profile written August 2, 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
Edwina L. Johnson’s career with the Georgia Department of Corrections spans over two decades, with roles ranging from Counselor at Smith State Prison to Chief Counselor and eventually Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment at Ware State Prison. Her highest facility‑leadership post came as Deputy Warden at Ware State Prison, a position she held from 2016 through the end of 2020. By 2021 she moved into central‑office managerial positions and later became a Regional Operations Coordinator at the Jenkins Facility. GPS records attribute a total of 8 deaths to facilities during periods when Johnson held a leadership‑tier position—all eight of those deaths occurred at Ware State Prison during her tenure as Deputy Warden in 2020. Three federal lawsuits naming Johnson as a defendant were filed while she served in that role.What happened on their watch
Johnson’s most consequential leadership posting was as Deputy Warden at Ware State Prison (2016–2020). The eight deaths attributed to her watch at the facility all occurred in 2020. According to GPS records and Ware County Coroner documentation, four of the deaths were natural, two were homicides, and two have causes classified as “unknown/pending.”The natural deaths included Jimmy Kelly, 72, who died on April 1, 2020, from stomach cancer with metastases; Verlin Edward Spivey, 64, who died on May 13 from acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia; Steve Purcell Jones, 44, and Tony Jackson, 68, both of whom died in July from complications of COVID‑19, per coroner’s reports. Two men were killed by violence inside the prison: Robert Lee Wilson, 31, died on July 17 from multiple stab wounds, and Christopher Rawls, 32, died on September 5 from strangulation—both deaths were ruled homicides by the Ware County Coroner. The cause of death for James Franklin Conkle, 71 (May 19), and Trent Lorenzo Veal Sr., 51 (August 20), remains officially unknown or pending; both deaths are listed on the Georgia Department of Corrections’ official 2020–2023 mortality report as occurring at Ware State Prison.
The year’s violence extended beyond individual deaths. According to the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution, the Georgia Department of Corrections publicly described the August 1, 2020, incident at Ware State Prison as a “disturbance,” while internal records later obtained by the AJC characterized it as involving hostage‑taking, escape attempts, assaults, and uses of force. That same AJC investigation would later note that ten inmates were killed at Ware State Prison between July 2020 and August 2024, with incidents often involving multiple prisoners.
Litigation
- Slaughter v. Gramiak (5:15‑cv‑00090, GASD) — filed November 17, 2015, terminated February 11, 2022.
- Gandy v. Bryson (5:16‑cv‑00044, GASD) — filed June 9, 2016, terminated April 5, 2019.
- Smith v. Ward (1:19‑cv‑03871, GAND) — filed August 12, 2019, terminated June 7, 2023.
All three lawsuits were active during Johnson’s tenure as Deputy Warden at Ware State Prison; none resulted in a publicly recorded monetary settlement.
Sources
- GPS records — personnel position data and deaths‑attribution tallies
- Ware County Coroner / GBI DOFS records — causes and manners of death for Kelly, Spivey, Jones, Jackson, Wilson, and Rawls
- Georgia Department of Corrections 2020–2023 official mortality report — confirmation of in‑custody status for Conkle and Veal
- Atlanta Journal‑Constitution — reporting on the August 1, 2020, Ware State Prison disturbance and wider violence patterns
- PACER / CourtListener — dockets for Slaughter v. Gramiak, Gandy v. Bryson, and Smith v. Ward
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Operations Coordinator | JENKINS FACILITY | 2025-07-16 → present |
| SR MGR, CORRECTIONAL ADMIN | 2022-01-01 → present | |
| SR MGR, CORRECTIONAL ADMIN | COFFEE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY | 2021-01-01 → 2021-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | WARE STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2020-12-31 |
| CORRECTION ADMINISTRATION | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 | |
| Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment | WARE STATE PRISON | 2012-01-01 → 2012-12-31 |
| Chief Counselor | WARE STATE PRISON | 2011-01-01 → 2011-12-31 |
| Counselor | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2000-01-01 → 2000-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:19-cv-03871 | GAND | 2019-08-12 | terminated |
| 5:16-cv-00044 | GASD | 2016-06-09 | terminated |
| 5:15-cv-00090 | GASD | 2015-11-17 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
8 people died at facilities under Johnson, Edwina L's leadership.
| Date | Decedent | Age | Facility | Role at time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-05 | CHRISTOPHER RAWLS | 32 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-08-20 | TRENT LORENZO SR VEAL | 51 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-07-26 | TONY JACKSON | 68 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-07-20 | STEVE PURCELL JONES | 44 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-07-17 | ROBERT LEE WILSON | 31 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-05-19 | JAMES FRANKLIN CONKLE | 71 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-05-13 | VERLIN EDWARD SPIVEY | 64 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2020-04-01 | JIMMY KELLY | 72 | WARE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
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