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McFarlane, Andrew M
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
Andrew M. McFarlane rose through the ranks of the Georgia Department of Corrections from a unit manager role at Rogers State Prison to deputy warden at the same facility, then served four years as deputy warden at Smith State Prison before becoming warden of Telfair State Prison in July 2023. GPS records attribute 49 in‑custody deaths to facilities where he held a leadership‑tier position—17 during his deputy‑warden tenure at Smith, and 32 since he took command at Telfair. Eight lawsuits name McFarlane as a defendant; several remain pending in federal court. The most prominent death on his watch is that of Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano, who was left in an outdoor recreation cage during extreme heat hours after McFarlane became warden at Telfair, an incident now the subject of a civil suit.What happened on their watch
Smith State Prison — Deputy Warden (2019–2022)
During McFarlane’s tenure as deputy warden, 17 people died in custody at Smith State Prison. Among the deaths sampled by GPS, at least nine were homicides, including Christopher Redwine (asphyxia due to manual strangulation), Christopher Reynolds (blunt and sharp force injuries to head and neck), Desmond Hill (strangulation), and Justin Wilkerson (asphyxia, neck compression), according to the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution’s Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation. Several others died of stab wounds. The facility was frequently described as dangerously understaffed: the AJC reported that roughly two‑thirds of correctional officer positions were unfilled, leaving officers alone in housing units where fatal attacks occurred. A former officer later told the AJC that the prison’s back gate lacked a metal detector, potentially allowing contraband to enter. Smith State Prison’s warden during those years, Brian Adams, was subsequently indicted on racketeering and bribery charges for his role in a contraband operation; no public allegation has tied McFarlane to that conduct.
Telfair State Prison — Warden (July 2023–present)
Since McFarlane assumed the warden’s post, 32 people have died at Telfair State Prison. Within weeks, on July 20, 2023, 27‑year‑old Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano died after officers left him in an outdoor recreation cage for five hours in a heat index of 105 °F; his internal body temperature reached 107 °F, and the GDC initially reported the death as “natural causes.” The family filed suit (see Litigation). The following year and a half witnessed a cascade of homicides: Kwesi Stultz (multiple head injuries), Zoumana Madiou Sarre (multiple sharp force injuries to neck and torso), Lester James Smith (stab wound), Malindzo Eddy Hatcher (stabbed during an altercation), and Preston C. Phelps (stabbed in a gang fight), among others, per AJC reporting and Telfair County coroner records. Many additional deaths are classified as “unknown/pending.” The facility has operated with a severe staffing deficit; AJC investigations found that Telfair was missing 76 percent of its essential workforce, leaving as few as 36 correctional officers to supervise approximately 1,400 prisoners. Contraband problems surfaced in media accounts, including a sergeant charged with smuggling methamphetamine into the prison as part of the broader Operation Ghost Busted investigation.
Litigation
- Powell v. Mcfarlane — No. 2:24‑cv‑00027 (S.D. Ga.), filed 2/22/2024; pending.
- Allen v. Mcfarlane — No. 1:24‑cv‑00577 (N.D. Ga.), filed 2/8/2024; terminated 9/19/2024.
- Hall v. Mcfarlane — No. 3:23‑cv‑00094 (S.D. Ga.), filed 11/29/2023; terminated 3/4/2024.
- Bibiano v. Garrett — No. 3:25‑cv‑00013 (S.D. Ga.), filed 2/13/2025; pending.
- Johns v. Mcfarlane — No. 1:25‑cv‑06658 (N.D. Ga.), filed 10/14/2025; pending.
- Ford v. Mcfarlane — No. 1:25‑cv‑03524 (N.D. Ga.), filed 6/24/2025; pending.
- Daker v. Oliver Filing Restriction Per 59 Order — No. 1:25‑cv‑03191 (N.D. Ga.), filed 6/6/2025; terminated 3/30/2026.
- Daker v. Ward — No. 7:20‑cv‑00113 (M.D. Ga.), filed 6/11/2020; terminated 11/3/2021.
- Timmons v. Georgia Department of Corrections — No. 6:17‑cv‑00116 (S.D. Ga.), filed 9/6/2017; terminated 3/25/2021.
- Jackson v. Catanzariti — No. 6:12‑cv‑00113 (S.D. Ga.), filed 12/10/2012; terminated 6/28/2023.
Sources
- Atlanta Journal‑Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation (multiple homicide reports at Smith and Telfair state prisons, 2020–2025)
- Atlanta Journal‑Constitution — reporting on staffing shortages, contraband, and systemic violence at Smith and Telfair
- Telfair County Coroner records — death certifications for in‑custody deaths at Telfair State Prison
- The Georgia Virtue — coverage of Warden Brian Adams’ indictment and alleged contraband scheme at Smith State Prison
- The Marshall Project — reporting on understaffing and neglect in Georgia prisons
- Georgia Public Broadcasting — report on drone‑smuggled firearm used in a 2024 murder at Smith State Prison
- Federal court dockets (PACER/CourtListener) for the listed lawsuits
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| WARDEN 3 | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2025-01-01 → present |
| WARDEN 3 | 2024-01-01 → 2024-12-31 | |
| Warden | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2023-07-01 → present |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | 2023-01-01 → 2023-06-30 | |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → 2022-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2017-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 |
| CORRECTION ADMINISTRATION | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:25-cv-06658 | GAND | 2025-10-14 | pending |
| 1:25-cv-03524 | GAND | 2025-06-24 | pending |
| 1:25-cv-03191 | GAND | 2025-06-06 | terminated |
| 3:25-cv-00013 | GASD | 2025-02-13 | pending |
| 2:24-cv-00027 | GASD | 2024-02-22 | pending |
| 1:24-cv-00577 | GAND | 2024-02-08 | terminated |
| 3:23-cv-00094 | GASD | 2023-11-29 | terminated |
| 7:20-cv-00113 | GAMD | 2020-06-11 | terminated |
| 6:17-cv-00116 | GASD | 2017-09-06 | terminated |
| 6:12-cv-00113 | GASD | 2012-12-10 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
49 people died at facilities under McFarlane, Andrew M's leadership.
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