Stokes, David

Tenure Summary

David Stokes entered the Georgia Department of Corrections as a correctional officer at Coastal State Prison in 2013, moved through sergeant (2016) and lieutenant ranks, and by 2019 held the Assistant Superintendent post at Long Unit, a facility-deputy role he held until February 15, 2024. He became Correctional Superintendent at Long Unit in January 2024, then Warden at Central State Prison from December 16, 2024 through May 31, 2026. Commissioner Tyrone Oliver announced his reassignment to Warden at Coastal State Prison effective June 1, 2026, where he remains.

GPS's death registry attributes 21 deaths to Stokes's leadership tenures: 11 at Central State Prison, 8 at Coastal State Prison, and 2 at Long Unit. Nineteen of those 21 are recorded with causes of Unknown/Pending, Suicide, or Overdose; two are recorded as Natural/Medical. He is named as a defendant in one federal lawsuit, terminated within weeks of filing.

What happened on their watch

Long Unit — Assistant Superintendent (2019 – Feb 15, 2024) and Correctional Superintendent (2024)
Two deaths are attributed to Long Unit during Stokes's time there. Charles E Daniels died August 24, 2020, at Long Unit; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical, age 51 — a period when Stokes held the Assistant Superintendent role. Cameron Ryan Paquette died February 13, 2024, at Long Unit; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical, age 43 — during Stokes's tenure as Correctional Superintendent.

Central State Prison — Warden (Dec 16, 2024 – May 31, 2026)
Eleven deaths are attributed to Central State during his wardenship. Brandon Jamal Pool died December 29, 2024, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 38. Matthew Maddox died January 28, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending. Lamancha Ware died March 2, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 48. Travis Jamal Gaither died April 21, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 41. Ricky Eugene Rogers died April 21, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Overdose, age 68. Ricky D Ring died July 16, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 56. James Theodore Miller died September 22, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 64. Joseph Hamm died October 8, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Overdose, age 36. Ronald Goss died October 23, 2025, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 60. Miguel Angel Duran died March 1, 2026, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Suicide, age 44. Michael Lane Brooks died April 19, 2026, at Central State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 77.

The DOJ report, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, states that Marquis L. Johnson was stabbed in the prison barbershop on December 8 and later died after cardiac arrest secondary to the stabbing, and that Hollis Alan Bryant was stabbed to death, with three other prisoners criminally charged. Both entries are dated January 21, 2025, when Stokes held the WARDEN 1 post at Central State. GDC-reported incidents during his tenure include a January 2026 inmate fight that hospitalized one prisoner, three inmates charged in a June 2025 stabbing, and three former guards accused in March 2025 of beating an inmate and attempting a cover-up (13WMAZ). A December 2025 case involved a Central State guard charged with falsely imprisoning four Department of Family and Children Services employees over child support payments. Inmate and social-media reports relayed to GPS in May 2026 alleged that six people were hospitalized at Central State during a statewide lockdown, that multiple stabbings drew several ambulances, and that the facility was running skeleton-crew staffing; a separate April 2026 submission alleged that a prisoner showing stroke symptoms was denied timely medical attention before being transported.

Coastal State Prison — Warden (June 1, 2026 – present)
Eight deaths are attributed to Coastal State, all recorded within roughly three months of his arrival. Ronald Tyrone Waller died June 10, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 57. Bobby Clinton Biggs died June 25, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 77. Corey Marcel Mitchell died July 15, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 50. Phillip Alexander George died July 16, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 66. Sheldon Leroy Burns died September 1, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical, age 64. Harold Clyde Fair died September 4, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 63. James Daniel O'Bryant died September 13, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 56. Richard Lee Billstrom died September 15, 2026, at Coastal State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, age 66.

Two public Facebook posts by formerly incarcerated people, dated August 31 and September 5, 2026, alleged that during terms running 2021 to 2026 they witnessed deaths, beatings, restraints, sexual assault, and that correctional officers and CERT members were present at at least one life-threatening incident without effective intervention. Those are allegations by the posters, and they cover years before Stokes's Coastal posting.

Litigation

• Pugh v. Fleming, No. 1:24-cv-02733 (GAND), filed June 21, 2024, terminated August 9, 2024; no outcome amount recorded. Stokes is listed as a defendant; the filing date falls while he was Assistant Superintendent at Long Unit.

Sources

• GPS death registry — decedent names, dates, facilities, and listed causes for the 21 deaths attributed to Stokes's tenures
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — homicide reporting citing the DOJ report on the Central State Prison deaths of Marquis L. Johnson and Hollis Alan Bryant
• U.S. Department of Justice report — findings cited via the AJC reporting above
• 13WMAZ — Central State Prison guard arrests and use-of-force allegations during Stokes's wardenship
• CourtListener docket — Pugh v. Fleming, No. 1:24-cv-02733
• Public Facebook posts by formerly incarcerated people (August 31 and September 5, 2026) — witness allegations regarding Coastal State Prison
• Inmate and social-media reports submitted to GPS (April–May 2026) — hospitalization, stabbing, staffing, and delayed-care allegations at Central State Prison

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Nov 1, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.