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Keith, Tonja T
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
Tonja T. Keith began a career in Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) leadership as a Correctional Unit Manager in 2018, and in 2019 rose to Deputy Warden at Telfair State Prison, a position held continuously through at least 2025. During Keith’s tenure as a facility-level deputy administrator, GPS records attribute 55 deaths to Telfair State Prison — all of which occurred while Keith held the deputy warden post. The deaths span homicides, suicides, suspected overdoses, and a heat-exposure fatality that drew public attention. Multiple civil rights lawsuits were filed in federal court against Telfair officials during Keith’s service, and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation documented systemic violence and staffing crises at the prison. Keith remains active in the deputy warden role, with the last known salary recorded at $75,559.What happened on their watch
At Telfair State Prison, Keith served as Deputy Warden from January 2019 onward. GPS records document 55 deaths at the facility during this period. The deaths include at least 13 homicides identified by news investigations and coroner records — among them Aldrich Norval Cain (multiple stab wounds, April 2020), Marcus Derrelle Pearson (multiple stab wounds, May 2020), Juan Carlos Arguelles-Reveles (stabbing, May 2021), Xavier LaMar Warren (stab wound to torso, December 2022), De’ahmoz Oshmic Floyd (stab wound to neck, April 2023), and Zoumana Madiou Sarre (multiple sharp force injuries, July 2024). A claim filed against the state, cited by the AJC, alleged that Floyd was stabbed by several prisoners at a moment when no staff were present in the dorm. Suicides, including Robert Baker (hanging, October 2025), and a death attributed to drug overdose (Tony Morales Adame, June 2025) also appear in coroner findings.One death that drew outside scrutiny was that of Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano in July 2023. According to GPS records, he died after officers left him in an outdoor recreation cage for five hours in a heat index of 105 degrees; his internal temperature reached 107°F. GDC reported the death as “natural causes.” The death of William Hiram Lumpkin in August 2021 was officially recorded as natural causes, but a GPS investigation noted witness reports of medical neglect — the facility’s doctor allegedly refused to see him after he complained of chest pain.
The tenure coincides with severe understaffing. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that by March 2024, Telfair State Prison had 79% of correctional officer positions unfilled, leaving only 32 officers for a facility requiring at least 153. Federal prosecutors uncovered a drug trafficking network involving a Telfair sergeant, Desiree Briley, who pleaded guilty to smuggling methamphetamine into the prison for at least two years as part of Operation Ghost Busted. In March 2024, the warden at Telfair was stabbed by an inmate during a contraband shakedown. GPS intelligence reports further noted allegations of gang violence, including a December 2025 gang fight that resulted in the stabbing death of Preston C. Phelps, and an earlier incident in which an inmate’s finger was severed.
Litigation
- Thomas v. White, No. 3:23-cv-00100 (S.D. Ga., filed Dec. 21, 2023; terminated Feb. 23, 2024).
- Powell v. White, No. 3:23-cv-00096 (S.D. Ga., filed Dec. 4, 2023; terminated Mar. 28, 2024).
- Hall v. Mcfarlane, No. 3:23-cv-00094 (S.D. Ga., filed Nov. 29, 2023; terminated Mar. 4, 2024).
- Mckinney v. White, No. 3:22-cv-00062 (S.D. Ga., filed June 13, 2022; terminated Sept. 8, 2022).
Sources
- GPS records — death data and personnel timeline for Tonja T. Keith at Telfair State Prison.
- Telfair County Coroner records — multiple death investigations, including those for Garcia-Nelasco, Phelps, Baker, Thomason, Messer, Hatcher, Perry, Adame, Smith, Ford, Moody, and others.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation, reporting on homicides at Telfair and staffing crises.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — “Inside Job” investigation on contraband smuggling at Telfair.
- Solitary Watch — allegations of tactical squad violence and denial of heat at Telfair (historical, pre-tenure but cited in GPS intel).
- CourtListener — federal dockets for Thomas v. White, Powell v. White, Hall v. Mcfarlane, Mckinney v. White.
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → present |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2018-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:23-cv-00100 | GASD | 2023-12-21 | terminated |
| 3:23-cv-00096 | GASD | 2023-12-04 | terminated |
| 3:23-cv-00094 | GASD | 2023-11-29 | terminated |
| 3:22-cv-00062 | GASD | 2022-06-13 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
55 people died at facilities under Keith, Tonja T's leadership.
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