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Payne, James Oneal
Status: active
Profile written July 12, 2026
Current Position
Deputy Director Of Facilities Administration/Support
Salary
$123,000
2025 · state payroll
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
James Oneal Payne’s career with the Georgia Department of Corrections began in 2015 with a role in correction administration, followed by a year as a Correctional Superintendent in 2016. From 2017 through 2020, Payne held the facility‑leadership position of Warden 1 at Burruss Correctional Training Center. He later advanced to Assistant Region Director (2021‑2023) and then to Deputy Director roles, most recently serving as Deputy Director of Facilities Administration/Support as of June 2024. GPS records attribute zero deaths to any facility‑leader tenure held by Payne. A single federal lawsuit naming Payne as a defendant was filed in 2024, after his warden service, and was terminated that same year without a recorded payout.What happened on their watch
Burruss Correctional Training Center (2017–2020) Payne oversaw Burruss CTC as Warden for four calendar years. GPS records show no deaths occurred at the facility during his tenure. No intelligence reports, federal investigations, or news mentions linked to either the facility or Payne’s leadership appear in the available data. The facility’s record during this period was devoid of the serious custodial fatalities that have drawn scrutiny at other GDC prisons.Litigation
- Jean Pierre v. Payne, 1:24‑cv‑02646 (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia). Filed June 17, 2024, and terminated August 30, 2024. The suit was filed while Payne held the title of Deputy Director of Facilities Administration/Support; the nature of the allegations is not detailed in the provided records, and the case closed with no recorded monetary outcome.
Sources
- GPS personnel and death‑attribution records — documentation of Payne’s positions and zero fatalities during his facility‑leadership tenures
- CourtListener docket for Jean Pierre v. Payne, Case No. 1:24‑cv‑02646 (GAND) — filing and termination dates
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR | 2024-01-01 → present | |
| Deputy Director of Facilities Administration/Support | 2024-06-01 → present | |
| ASSISTANT REGION DIRECTOR | 2021-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| WARDEN 1 | BURRUSS C.T.C | 2017-01-01 → 2020-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 | |
| CORRECTION ADMINISTRATION | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:24-cv-02646 | GAND | 2024-06-17 | terminated |
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