Mahoney, Tamikia Nicole

Tenure Summary

Tamikia Nicole Mahoney began her GDC career as a correctional officer at Wilkes County Prison in 2006 and spent the bulk of her career at Hancock State Prison, rising from Counselor (2011) to Chief Counselor (2013), Unit Manager (2017), Correctional Assistant Superintendent (2019–2024), and Deputy Warden of Security (September 2024–present). GPS records show 26 deaths attributed to Hancock State Prison during the years Mahoney held facility-deputy or specialty-lead roles there, spanning 2019 through 2026. The dominant cause category across those deaths is homicide (cause category 3), with stabbing and blunt-force injuries appearing repeatedly in AJC-documented death data. No lawsuits name Mahoney personally as a defendant.

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What Happened on Their Watch

Hancock State Prison — Correctional Assistant Superintendent (2019–2024)

Mahoney held the Correctional Assistant Superintendent role at Hancock State Prison continuously from 2019 through August 2024. GPS records attribute 19 deaths to the facility during this period. The AJC's Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation documents a concentrated pattern of lethal violence: Cesar Arnold Pastrana Morales, 33, died March 13, 2020 from a stab wound to the chest, with an incident report showing five other inmates involved; Rashad Bolton, 29, died January 4, 2021 from a puncture wound to the chest — his parents filed a lawsuit claiming he was stabbed to death; Dwayne Zackery Jr., 22, died February 12, 2021 from a stab wound to the chest with a homemade knife inflicted by his cellmate, per the AJC. Charles "Tristen" McKee, 24, was stabbed 13 times on May 23, 2022; a lawsuit alleges he had repeatedly asked to be moved the day before, stating his life was in danger, and that staff failed to act — per the AJC. A Hancock County jury later convicted fellow prisoner Cleveland Gary for the killing. Terry Lee Bishop, 49, died October 18, 2022 from blunt force trauma combined with acute methamphetamine and cannabinoid toxicity, per AJC death data. Norman Jackson Samples, 59, died December 27, 2022 from blunt force injuries to the head and torso. In 2023, Roland Lamont Phillips, 33, died June 28 from 11 puncture wounds to the torso and one to the neck — a murder warrant was served against his cellmate; Francisco Melgar-Saldivar, 26, died August 12, 2023 from strangulation and blunt force injuries, and a claim filed against the state alleges he was not provided appropriate medical care after the attack, per the AJC. An intel report also on file with GPS alleges that prison officials placed inmate Amanuel Selassie Geberyesus in a regular cell contrary to a counselor's advice after he expressed suicidal thoughts, and that he subsequently died by suicide — per the AJC. The AJC reported that as of October 2024, Hancock had a 73.5% correctional officer vacancy rate, leaving approximately 49 officers for more than 1,100 prisoners. A 2024 U.S. Department of Justice report, cited by the AJC, described violence, sexual assaults, and gang-run conditions in Georgia's prisons fueled by a culture of indifference; that report's findings overlap with Mahoney's tenure at Hancock. Consultants separately found staffing vacancies at 20 of Georgia's 34 prisons had reached "emergency levels," with broken cell locks allowing prisoners to roam freely, per the AJC.

Hancock State Prison — Deputy Warden of Security (September 2024–present)

Mahoney was promoted to Deputy Warden of Security at Hancock in September 2024. GPS records attribute 12 deaths to the facility since that promotion. Travon Montrell Walthour, 29, was stabbed to death October 13, 2024; four other prisoners were involved, per GDC incident report data cited by 13WMAZ and the Human & Civil Rights Coalition of Georgia. On January 30, 2025, William Holeman and Prince Porter were found dead in the same dormitory approximately 15–20 feet apart following gang-related violence; a third prisoner was hospitalized, per GPS records. Porter had a single puncture wound in his upper back; Holeman had no visible marks. Corey Jose July, 33, was stabbed to death in the prison yard on June 17, 2025, per 13WMAZ, FOX 5, WGXA, and the Union-Recorder. Andre Rashad Weems, 36, was fatally stabbed September 9, 2025; eight prisoners were charged with malice murder, but a grand jury returned a no-bill, per 13WMAZ, the Union-Recorder, 41NBC, and FOX 5. In early 2026, violence intensified: on January 12, five inmates were stabbed and two airlifted to hospitals, per GPS records. Steven Monroe Wood, 54, was discovered beaten in his cell on January 25, 2026, transported to Washington County Regional Medical Center and then to Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta, where he died — per the Union-Recorder. Jaylin Bell, 32, died February 6, 2026 following an altercation with his cellmate; a GPS Telegram relay report alleged the killing occurred in a segregation unit (G1), and 41NBC reported the death. Jerrod Johnson, 27, was fatally stabbed around 4:45 p.m. on February 18, 2026; EMS was called but he died before they arrived, per GPS records. Jacorey Pearson (year of birth 1989) died April 5, 2026; the GDC's Office of Professional Standards opened an investigation, which GPS records show is ongoing. GPS Telegram relay reports also document an alleged stabbing in the visitation area and an alleged gang attack in which Gangster Disciples inmates attacked Crips inmates while sleeping in the H1 dormitory, both occurring in early 2026.

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Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation; reporting on Hancock State Prison staffing vacancies, McKee murder conviction, gang-related deaths, DOJ report findings, and systemic staffing crisis
• Union-Recorder — reporting on Steven Monroe Wood death (January 2026)
• 13WMAZ — reporting on Travon Walthour, Andre Weems, and Corey July deaths
• 41NBC — reporting on Jaylin Bell death and Andre Weems charges
• FOX 5 Atlanta — reporting on Corey July and Andre Weems deaths
• WGXA — reporting on Corey July death
• Human & Civil Rights Coalition of Georgia / Between Community News — reporting on Travon Walthour death
• U.S. Department of Justice — 2024 report on Georgia prison violence, cited by AJC
• GPS records — deaths-during-tenure data, Telegram relay incident reports, intel reports, GDC Office of Professional Standards investigation notices
• GDC incident report data — cited in GPS records for Walthour and Pastrana deaths

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 6, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.