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Sailem, Tiffany C
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
Tiffany C. Sailem began her career with the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2006 as a correctional officer at Johnson State Prison, later returning to that facility as a correctional officer in 2015. She progressed through lieutenant and unit manager roles before being appointed Deputy Warden at Johnson State Prison on January 1, 2025, and subsequently Deputy Warden of Security on April 1, 2025. According to GPS records, during her leadership tenure at Johnson State Prison through April 2026, a total of 24 deaths were attributed to the facility. Several of those deaths were homicides, and Sailem is a named defendant in a pending federal lawsuit, Wade v. Morgan, stemming from the 2021 cellmate killing of David Henegar at the same prison. In April 2026, while she was Deputy Warden of Security, the state paid $4 million to settle the Henegar family’s claims.What happened on their watch
During Sailem’s tenure as Deputy Warden and then Deputy Warden of Security at Johnson State Prison, the facility recorded 24 deaths, per GPS death records. The earliest death on her watch occurred on February 12, 2025, when Justin Brandon Hulett, 38, died; his cause of death is categorized as homicide. Over the following months, several additional inmate deaths were classified as homicides: Paul Russell Brewster, 48, on June 9, 2025; Joseph Lamar Sanders, 54, on January 27, 2026; Phillip Lamar Byrd, 46, on January 18, 2026 — GPS notes describe Byrd as having been beaten, exposed to cold, and injected with drugs by gang members — and Michael Elias Peschel, 36, on March 14, 2026; Peschel suffered 20 stab wounds from a cellmate who, according to a GPS intelligence report, should have been housed alone. The death of Marries Mckay on April 18, 2026, remains under investigation; initial reports suggested suicide, but subsequent information indicated a sudden collapse, and the cause has not been finalized.Others among the 24 deaths carry a cause category consistent with natural or terminal illness, many involving individuals in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. No further details are provided for these cases in the available records.
Beyond individual deaths, the facility experienced significant operational breakdowns while Sailem held command. In April 2026, multiple reports from incarcerated people and advocates documented contaminated food trays that were making people ill; dishwashing equipment had failed, and trays were being processed with a manual chemical dunk. These reports came despite a December 2023 food safety inspection that had already failed Johnson State Prison with a score of 64 out of 100, citing rats, roaches, and broken kitchen equipment.
The 2021 death of David Henegar also cast a long shadow over Sailem’s tenure. Henegar was beaten and strangled by his cellmate over an estimated five hours at Johnson State Prison on October 16, 2021. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a lawsuit alleges that prison staff ignored screams from neighboring prisoners, housed Henegar with a mentally ill cellmate who had attacked him before, and kept him in custody past his scheduled release date due to an administrative delay. Sailem is a defendant in that suit; GPS records show the state reached a $4 million settlement with the family in April 2026, on the eve of a federal trial.
Litigation
- Wade v. Morgan, Case No. 3:23-cv-00073 (U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia), filed August 31, 2023. Sailem is among the defendants. The lawsuit concerns the October 2021 death of David Henegar at Johnson State Prison. Status is listed as pending, though the state agreed to a $4 million settlement in April 2026, per GPS event records.
Sources
- GPS death records and personnel database — positions, facility assignments, and 24 deaths during leadership tenure at Johnson State Prison
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — reporting on David Henegar killing, allegations of ignored warnings, and the April 2026 settlement
- Wade v. Morgan federal docket, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
- GPS intelligence reports — contaminated food tray incidents (April 2026) and Johnson State Prison food safety inspection failure (December 2023)
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy Warden of Security | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2025-04-01 → present |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2025-01-01 → present |
| CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2021-01-01 → 2024-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | 2016-01-01 → 2020-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONS OFFICER (SP) | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
| Correctional Officer | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2006-01-01 → 2006-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:23-cv-00073 | GASD | 2023-08-31 | pending |
Deaths attributed during tenure
24 people died at facilities under Sailem, Tiffany C's leadership.
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