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McAlister, Christopher A
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
Christopher A. McAlister began his Georgia Department of Corrections career as a correctional officer in 2015 and advanced through lieutenant and unit-manager roles before being promoted to deputy warden at Hays State Prison in early 2021. He has remained in that position through at least 2025. GPS records attribute a total of 33 deaths to Hays State Prison during McAlister’s tenure as deputy warden. Those deaths encompass a mix of natural causes, homicides, and deaths with causes still pending or unclassified. McAlister is named as a defendant in two federal lawsuits filed during his deputy warden service—one terminated in early 2026, the other still pending.What happened on their watch
Hays State Prison (Deputy Warden, 2021–present) Thirty-three incarcerated people died at Hays State Prison while McAlister served as deputy warden, according to GPS records. The individual decedents, drawn from a recent sample of the full count, include deaths attributed to natural illnesses—such as Corey Anwar Dubose (acute myocardial infarction, 2026) and Raymont Savion Farley (epilepsy, 2025)—as well as multiple homicides. Among the documented homicides are Melvin Gay Johnson, who was beaten brain-dead in a dorm after allegedly being returned to the same housing unit despite safety concerns, per both coroner files and Telegram reports from inside the facility; James Cannon, whose cellmate confessed to manual strangulation, per the Chattooga County Coroner’s investigation; and several stabbing deaths tracked by an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation, including Talore Blackford (multiple stab wounds to the neck, 2023), Freddie Lee Talley III (stab wound to chest, 2024), and Jeremy Edward Price (stab wounds to neck and chest, 2024). A coroner’s report for Farley noted two undelivered medication packets on his cell floor, raising questions about medication distribution for a known seizure patient. Many additional deaths are categorized with pending or undetermined causes; for example, Ralph Carter (2025) and Joey Griffin (2024) have cause classifications listed as “other/unknown” without further detail in the available records.Broader systemic allegations also marked McAlister’s tenure. In 2025, the AJC reported that GDC was withholding manner-of-death information, and an investigation detailed a former guard smuggling methamphetamine into Hays. A lieutenant was convicted for arranging to smuggle marijuana for a gang member. At the same time, the state announced a $600 million prison spending surge that included a $24 million hardened 126-bed unit at Hays State Prison as a pilot project, acknowledging the facility’s security challenges. While McAlister was not the warden—the warden’s position was held by Joshua Jones until his unexpected death in July 2026—the deputy warden role placed him in the facility’s senior leadership when these 33 deaths occurred.
Litigation
- McKenzie v. Oliver (Case No. 4:26-cv-00108, N.D. Ga., filed April 28, 2026; pending). McAlister is listed as a defendant.
- Daker v. Oliver Filing Restriction Per 59 Order (Case No. 1:25-cv-03191, N.D. Ga., filed June 6, 2025; terminated March 30, 2026). McAlister is listed as a defendant. No monetary outcome is recorded.
Sources
- GPS records — death counts by facility and individual decedent data, including notes from Telegram relays, coroner files, and GDC data
- Chattooga County Coroner death-investigation files (obtained via GPS Open Records request, various case numbers)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — “Georgia prison officials block access to death info as homicides spike” (2025), Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation (tracking cause of death for several Hays decedents), and reporting on staff smuggling convictions
- Coosa Valley News — report on James Cannon homicide (2025)
- CourtListener — dockets for McKenzie v. Oliver and Daker v. Oliver
- GBI death investigation records referenced in coroner files (e.g., GBI case numbers for autopsies)
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | HAYS STATE PRISON | 2021-01-01 → present |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2017-01-01 → 2020-12-31 | |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONS OFFICER (SP) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:26-cv-00108 | GAND | 2026-04-28 | pending |
| 1:25-cv-03191 | GAND | 2025-06-06 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
33 people died at facilities under McAlister, Christopher A's leadership.
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