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Swinford, Jonathan D
Status: active
Profile written August 2, 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
Jonathan D. Swinford began his Georgia Department of Corrections career as a Correctional Officer in 2015 and rose through progressively responsible roles—Correctional Lieutenant (2016–2018), Correctional Officer 2 (2019–2021), and Correctional Unit Manager (2022–2023)—before being appointed Deputy Warden at Hays State Prison in 2024. He remained in that position through at least 2025, earning $91,524.07 in his final recorded salary year. GPS records attribute 17 deaths to Hays State Prison during his tenure as deputy warden, including several homicides documented in coroner files and news investigations. Swinford is named as a defendant in two federal lawsuits filed during this period.What happened on their watch
Hays State Prison — Deputy Warden (2024–2025, with attributed deaths extending into early 2026)All 17 deaths recorded under Swinford’s leadership occurred at Hays. The documented incidents span from March 2024 to April 2026 and include at least four confirmed homicides: Jeremy Edward Price (36, stabbed to death in March 2024, according to the AJC), Freddie Lee Talley III (31, stabbed in May 2024, per the AJC), Lawrence L. Williams (30, stabbed to death in October 2024, described by inmate sources as a gang-related stabbing), and James Cannon (48, found strangled in his cell in October 2025; the warden reported that Cannon’s cellmate confessed to manual strangulation, per Chattooga County Coroner files). A fifth homicide, Melvin Gay Johnson (35), died of multiple sharp force injuries in January 2026 after being allegedly beaten over three days and returned to a housing unit despite reportedly telling staff he feared for his safety, according to Telegram relay reports reviewed by GPS. On April 1, 2026, an incarcerated person identified as “KG” was killed during an official inspection, with two additional victims of neck wounds reported—an incident flagged by Telegram sources as potentially multiple homicides.
Natural deaths under Swinford’s watch included Corey Anwar Dubose (47, acute myocardial infarction), Raymont Savion Farley (36, epilepsy; packets of daily medication were found on his cell floor, per coroner records), and Tommy Joe Strickland (60, AIDS-related fungal meningitis). Another seven deaths (cause pending or not yet publicly specified) occurred between April 2024 and March 2026, including Barcel Roylee Ward (39, found in cardiac arrest, autopsy pending), Joey Griffin (54), Ralph Carter (39), Thomas Johnson (82), Mackendy Pierrette (50), Keith Johnson (57), and Theron Morrell Hendrix (31). When deaths with pending manner are included, the majority involve relatively young men, highlighting patterns noted in broader reporting about violence and medical care at the prison.
While Swinford served as deputy warden, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that GDC officials blocked access to manner-of-death data as homicides spiked. An AJC investigation also revealed that a former guard at Hays smuggled methamphetamine to inmates for over a month, and that Lieutenant Lakeshia Thomas (convicted in 2022) had arranged to smuggle marijuana for a gang member. Additionally, the warden of Hays State Prison, Joshua Jones, died unexpectedly on July 4, 2026, at age 39, leaving the wardenship vacant; Swinford was among the deputy wardens listed at the time, according to an obituary-based intelligence report.
Litigation
- Mckenzie v. Oliver, No. 4:26-cv-00108, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (filed April 28, 2026). Pending; Swinford named as a defendant.
- Daker v. Oliver, No. 1:25-cv-03191, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (filed June 6, 2025, terminated March 30, 2026). Outcome not detailed in available records; Swinford named as a defendant.
Sources
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — investigations into prison homicides, contraband smuggling, and GDC’s blocking of death-related records (2024–2026)
- Chattooga County Coroner death-investigation files (cases 24-020 through 26-020), obtained via GPS open-records requests
- Telegram relay messages analyzed by GPS AI, documenting inmate-reported incidents at Hays State Prison
- Coosa Valley News — reporting on suspected foul play in the death of James Cannon (October 2025)
- United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia — dockets for Mckenzie v. Oliver and Daker v. Oliver
- Obituary for Warden Joshua Jones (published July 2026), providing personnel context and confirming Swinford’s role as deputy warden at the time
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | HAYS STATE PRISON | 2024-01-01 → present |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2022-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL OFFICER 2 | 2021-01-01 → 2021-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONAL OFC 2 | 2019-01-01 → 2020-12-31 | |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | 2016-01-01 → 2018-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONS OFFICER (SP) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:26-cv-00108 | GAND | 2026-04-28 | pending |
| 1:25-cv-03191 | GAND | 2025-06-06 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
17 people died at facilities under Swinford, Jonathan D's leadership.
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