Scott, Tracey

Tenure Summary

What happened on their watch

In 2020 and 2021, the deaths included Andre Leander Byard, Johnny Frank White, Jack Swayne Turner, and Christopher Iles. For Byard, White, and Iles, GDC’s own coding, obtained by the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project, classified the deaths as natural. In 2022, DaQuavious Lackey, 21, was killed by his cellmate; a Calhoun County death certificate lists homicide by stab wound of the neck and multiple blunt force injuries. The AJC reported that the DOJ investigation alleged staff failed to follow classification and housing procedures when moving Lackey’s assailant. Christopher Oliva died by suicide by hanging, according to GBI medical examiner and coroner records. In February 2023, Reginald Jacobs Jr., 24, died of dehydration with renal failure; the coroner listed natural manner, while a federal complaint alleged staff disabled the water supply to his segregation cell and skipped required rounds. That case later settled. Martel Dorsey died in November 2023; the coroner listed homicide by stabbing.

In 2024, Kenneth Scott Piper died in an inmate-to-inmate assault, according to AJC reporting. Gonzalo Colmenero-Ayala died of multiple blunt force injuries and neck compressions, per coroner records. Willie Andrew Willis died after a reported balcony fall and stab wound; WALB reported his family alleges he was thrown from a balcony and that nearly an hour passed before he was airlifted. In 2025, Theodore Roundtree and Matthew Len Nutt died by homicide, per Calhoun County death certificates listing sharp-force trauma and blunt-force trauma. The records also include natural deaths, including Jimmy McMullen from pancreatic cancer and Thomas Haugabook from an intracranial hemorrhage.

Broader allegations documented during the period include DOJ findings that staff at Calhoun cut off a prisoner’s food and water, leading to a dehydration death; that GDC underreported homicides; and that less than 10% of prison fights were forwarded for investigation. The facility also saw the February 2020 Hot Pockets arrests of two correctional officers, later dismissals in nearly two dozen drug-smuggling cases because evidence was never tested, and federal prosecutions of prisoners for drug trafficking and wire fraud.

Litigation

• Jacobs v. GDC, 4:25-cv-00111 (M.D. Ga.; removed from Muscogee County State Court SC2024CV002716). The estate’s complaint alleged staff disabled the water supply to Reginald Jacobs Jr.’s segregation cell and failed to provide required rounds or drinking water; the coroner listed dehydration with renal failure. Notice of Settlement filed Aug. 15, 2025; all-defendant stipulation of dismissal Dec. 16, 2025. The provided records do not name Scott as a defendant.

Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia prison homicides investigation and Calhoun State Prison drug-smuggling coverage
• WALB — Willis family allegations and DOJ findings at Calhoun State Prison
• Calhoun County death certificates obtained via GPS open-records requests
• GBI Medical Examiner / DOFS records for Christopher Oliva
• UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project custodial mortality dataset
• GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (open records)
• Federal court records, Jacobs v. GDC, 4:25-cv-00111 (M.D. Ga.)
• U.S. Department of Justice investigation findings, as reported by AJC and WALB

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Aug 30, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.