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McFarlane, Andrew M
Status: active
Profile written July 12, 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 has served with the Georgia Department of Corrections since at least 2015, rising from a correctional administration post through unit supervisor and deputy warden roles to his current position as Warden at Telfair State Prison. GPS records show a total of 50 deaths attributed to facilities during his leadership-tenured periods: 17 at Smith State Prison, where he served as Deputy Warden from 2019 through 2022, and 33 at Telfair State Prison, where he has been Warden since July 2023. During his tenure, Telfair saw a lethal heat-exposure death that led to a $3.2 million state settlement and a pending wrongful-death lawsuit, as well as a pattern of homicides and suicides that unfolded amid severe understaffing and persistent contraband allegations.What happened on their watch
Rogers State Prison (Unit Manager, 2016; Deputy Warden, 2017–2018)
No deaths are attributed to McFarlane’s time at Rogers State Prison in GPS records. His advancement to deputy warden occurred without recorded fatalities at that facility.
Smith State Prison (Deputy Warden, 2019–2022)
Seventeen deaths are attributed to McFarlane’s tenure as Deputy Warden at Smith State Prison. The decedents listed from this period include numerous homicides: John Reyes (stabbed, 2020), Taylor Brooks (multiple stab wounds, 2020), Justin Wilkerson (asphyxia, 2021), Desmond Hill (strangulation, 2021—his family reported he had told his mother his cellmate threatened him the day before), Christopher Redwine (manual strangulation, 2021), Christopher Reynolds (blunt and sharp force injuries, 2021), Derrick Harvey (stabbed, 2021), Hiwatha Hakeem (multiple stab wounds, 2021, with a later lawsuit alleging failure to protect and to provide medical care), and Nathan Mahan (stabbed, 2022). The facility was under significant scrutiny: the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that about two-thirds of correctional officer positions were unfilled, and the U.S. Department of Justice initiated a civil investigation of GDC in September 2021. One death, that of Jerome Tisdol (2022), stands out: the county coroner requested an autopsy, but the GBI declined, leaving the cause permanently unknown—a documented instance of the “no-examination” mechanism identified in GPS research.
Telfair State Prison (Warden, July 2023–present)
Thirty-three deaths are attributed to McFarlane’s wardenship at Telfair State Prison. The first weeks of his tenure included the death of Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano on July 20, 2023. According to a lawsuit and news reports, Ramirez was left in an outdoor recreation cage without shade for roughly five hours while the heat index reached about 105°F; he repeatedly told guards he was overheating, that his medication was making him sick, and that he was having trouble breathing. Per a 13WMAZ account, an officer allegedly responded “if he dies, he dies.” The state settled with the family for $3.2 million, though GDC originally listed the death as “natural causes.” Other facility-lead deaths include a series of homicides: Kwesi Stultz (multiple head injuries, 2023), Joey Kilgore (stabbed in his sleep with five others injured, 2024), Lamar Wilson (fight, 2024), Zoumana Sarre (multiple sharp force injuries, 2024), Eric Whitehead (fight, 2024), Henry Crump (homicide, 2024), Aaron Smith (stabbed in his cell, 2024), Lester Smith (stabbed, 2025), Malindzo Hatcher (stabbed, 2025), Deandre Moody (strangulation, 2025), Ezra Ford (stabbing, 2025), and Preston Phelps (gang fight, 2025). Robert Baker died by hanging in 2025, ruled suicide by the coroner, and Tony Morales Adame died of a drug overdose in 2025. Systemic issues mirrored those at Smith: the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that Telfair was missing 76% of its essential workforce, leaving as few as 36 officers to supervise approximately 1,400 prisoners, and a separate AJC report detailed a corrections sergeant charged with smuggling meth into the facility.
Litigation
- Bibiano v. Garrett, No. 3:25-cv-00013 (S.D. Ga. filed Feb. 13, 2025) – pending wrongful-death suit arising from the heat-exposure death of Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano; a $3.2 million settlement was separately reported.
- Hall v. Mcfarlane, No. 3:23-cv-00094 (S.D. Ga. filed Nov. 29, 2023, terminated Mar. 4, 2024) – civil rights complaint naming McFarlane as a defendant.
- Daker v. Oliver Filing Restriction Per 59 Order, No. 1:25-cv-03191 (N.D. Ga. filed June 6, 2025, terminated Mar. 30, 2026); Daker v. Ward, No. 7:20-cv-00113 (M.D. Ga. 2020, terminated 2021); Timmons v. Georgia Department of Corrections, No. 6:17-cv-00116 (S.D. Ga. 2017, terminated 2021); Jackson v. Catanzariti, No. 6:12-cv-00113 (S.D. Ga. 2012, terminated 2023) – additional prisoner litigation in which McFarlane is named as a defendant or co-defendant, all terminated.
Sources
- GPS records — total deaths attributed and tenure details
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — reporting on staffing levels, homicides, and contraband schemes at Smith and Telfair State Prisons
- 13WMAZ — coverage of the Ramirez Bibiano heat death and settlement
- The Georgia Virtue — reporting on the Smith State Prison warden Indictment and contraband conspiracy
- Coroner records for Telfair County (2024–2025) — cause and manner determinations for listed decedents
- Federal court dockets (PACER/CourtListener) — case filings and statuses 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-03191 | GAND | 2025-06-06 | terminated |
| 3:25-cv-00013 | GASD | 2025-02-13 | pending |
| 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
50 people died at facilities under McFarlane, Andrew M's leadership.
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