Mims, Charles Michael

Tenure Summary

What happened on their watch

Valdosta State Prison (Deputy Warden, 2020)
Eight people died inside the prison during Mims’ one‑year deputy posting. Three were homicides: Bobby Lane Carpenter (31) died of a stab wound to the chest; Orvonta Casmir Tillman (36) suffered multiple sharp‑force penetrating trauma to the thorax; and Prince Blige (54) died from a stab wound to the torso, all according to an Atlanta Journal‑Constitution investigation. The remaining five deaths are categorized as undetermined in GPS records. No lawsuits name Mims in connection with this stint, though Valdosta later became the focus of “Operation Skyhawk,” a federal probe that in 2024–2025 led to the arrest of several correctional officers for smuggling drugs, cellphones, and other contraband.

Central State Prison (Deputy Warden, 2021)
Six deaths occurred during Mims’ year as deputy warden. One was a homicide: Joshua Carl Lester (34) died of a stab wound to the chest, per the AJC. A U.S. Department of Justice investigation documented at least one additional stabbing death at Central that year. Subsequent reporting noted that guards at the facility were later accused of beating an inmate and that a correctional officer faced charges for falsely imprisoning child‑support workers—indications of broader misconduct patterns that overlapped with Mims’ tenure.

Wilcox State Prison (Deputy Warden 2022; Warden 2023‑2024)
As deputy warden in 2022, Mims saw four deaths, including the homicide of James Forest Williams (43), who sustained blunt and sharp force injuries to the head, torso, and extremities (AJC).
Promoted to warden in 2023, he presided over an additional 14 deaths through 2024. Two were homicides: Mariol Juante Rawls (41) was killed by nine inmates using a homemade weapon, and Arthur Jerome Williams (55) was killed by two inmates, both documented by the AJC. The other 12 deaths are recorded as cause category 6 (undetermined or still under investigation) by GPS records.

Smith State Prison (Warden, 2025‑present)
Mims assumed command in January 2025, taking over a facility already embroiled in a sweeping RICO and contraband scandal that led to the indictment of his predecessor, former Warden Brian Adams. During Mims’ tenure, three deaths have been recorded. John Jacobs (77) died of cardiorespiratory arrest due to sepsis in October 2025; a Tattnall County deputy coroner’s report criticized the GDC’s handling of the case and stressed that all in‑custody deaths deserve independent review. In February 2026, Nicholas Shafer (24) was beaten, his hands and feet tied and an object stuffed in his mouth (AJC/GPS). Dwayne Eric Albritton (65) died in March 2026; the cause has not been publicly disclosed. The AJC has described Smith as one of the most understaffed, violent facilities in Georgia—just over half of its officer posts are filled—and in April 2026 a gang‑related altercation there triggered a system‑wide lockdown of all GDC prisons.

Litigation

• Battle v. Mims (5:23‑cv‑00487, GAMD, filed Dec. 6, 2023; terminated Dec. 8, 2023) – short‑lived suit naming Mims directly; outcome not reported.
• Collins v. Jones (5:25‑cv‑00451, GAMD, filed Oct. 15, 2025; pending) – includes Mims as a defendant.
• Daker v. Oliver Filing Restriction Per 59 Order (1:25‑cv‑03191, GAND, filed Jun. 6, 2025; terminated Mar. 30, 2026) – Mims listed as defendant.
• Robert M Taylor Iii v. Piedmont Healthcare Inc (1:24‑cv‑00019, GASD, filed Feb. 16, 2024; pending) – Mims named among defendants.
• Taylor v. University Health Services Inc (1:23‑cv‑00047, GASD, filed Apr. 19, 2023; terminated Dec. 14, 2023) – Mims named.
• Owners Insurance Company v. Anderson (4:16‑cv‑00368, GAMD, filed Nov. 22, 2016; terminated Jan. 17, 2018) – insurance dispute; Mims listed as defendant.
• In Re Wright Medical Technology Inc Conserve Hip Implant Products (1:12‑md‑02329, GAND, filed Feb. 27, 2012; terminated Jun. 26, 2018) – multidistrict product‑liability litigation; Mims recorded as a defendant.

Sources

• GPS records – personnel, death totals, and decedent details
• Atlanta Journal‑Constitution – homicide reports at Valdosta, Central, Wilcox, and Smith State Prisons; Smith State Prison understaffing and contraband investigations
• CourtListener / PACER – case dockets for all lawsuits naming Mims
• Tattnall County Deputy Coroner Daniel Bennett – report on the death of John Jacobs
• The Georgia Virtue – coverage of the Smith State Prison RICO indictment and related civil suit
• WTOC – report on sexual assault of a corrections employee at Smith State Prison

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 31, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.