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Swinford, Jonathan D
Status: active
Profile written July 12, 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 employment with the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) as a corrections officer in 2015 and rose through unit-supervisor roles before being appointed deputy warden at Hays State Prison in January 2024. According to GPS records, 17 deaths are attributed to the facility during his tenure as deputy warden—a role that, per the available salary records, extended at least through the end of 2025, but death reports indicate he remained in the position into early 2026. All 17 deaths occurred at Hays State Prison, spanning from March 2024 to April 2026, and include multiple homicides and violent incidents. During the same period, allegations of staff smuggling, an officer’s criminal conviction for bringing contraband into the prison, and reporting by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the GDC withholding death information surfaced alongside the deaths.What happened on their watch
Swinford assumed the deputy warden post at Hays State Prison on January 1, 2024. GPS records show that 17 people died at the facility while he held that leadership role. The first recorded death, on March 2, 2024, was Jeremy Edward Price, 36, who died from stab wounds to the neck and chest, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s homicide investigation. On April 19, 2024, Theron Morrell Hendrix, 31, died. On May 6, 2024, Freddie Lee Talley III, 31, was killed by a stab wound to the chest, per the AJC. Later in 2024, deaths included Keith Johnson (57) on August 19, Mackendy Pierrette (50) on September 13, Thomas Johnson (82) and Lawrence L. Williams (30) on the same day, October 24—Williams was murdered by multiple stabbings, according to GPS reports. Joey Griffin, 54, died on December 26, 2024.In 2025, the deaths continued: Ralph Carter (39) on March 5; Tommy Joe Strickland (60) on June 4; Raymont Savion Farley (36) from a seizure or natural cause on June 15; James Cannon (48) on October 25—Coosa Valley News reported foul play and suspected a cellmate; and Barcel Roylee Ward (39) on November 28. Entering 2026, Melvin Gay Johnson, 35, died on January 25 after being beaten in his dorm. GPS records relayed by incarcerated witnesses allege that Johnson had told a counselor he could not safely return to his dorm, but was sent back; he was beaten into brain death, and his family was later prevented from visiting him before he was taken off life support. Corey Anwar Dubose, 47, died on March 23, 2026. On April 1, 2026, a person identified as “KG” was killed during an official inspection, stabbed multiple times in the neck, with two additional victims with neck wounds reported via Telegram relays—suggesting multiple homicides on that date, according to GPS intel reports.
While Swinford served as deputy warden, several systemic problems and allegations surfaced. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2026 that Tammy Price alleged the GDC omits manner-of-death information from mortality reports, hiding an inability to protect prisoners. A former Hays State Prison guard was sentenced in early 2025 for smuggling methamphetamine to inmates for over a month, and a lieutenant, Lakeshia Thomas, was convicted for arranging to smuggle marijuana for a gang member. In October 2025, the state announced a $24 million “hardened” unit to be built at Hays State Prison amid longstanding violence. The pattern of homicides and suspicious deaths during Swinford’s watch aligns with the facility’s history of gang violence and security breaches documented in these contemporaneous reports.
Litigation
- Daker v. Oliver (1:25-cv-03191, GAND) – filed June 6, 2025, terminated March 30, 2026. The case was a filing restriction per court order; the named defendant is Oliver, not Swinford, but it was active during his deputy warden tenure at Hays.
- Mckenzie v. Oliver (4:26-cv-00108, GAND) – filed April 28, 2026. Still pending; listed as a defendant is Oliver. The lawsuit emerged while Swinford was deputy warden at Hays State Prison.
Sources
- GPS records – deaths attributed to Hays State Prison during Swinford’s tenure as deputy warden, total count of 17.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution – prison homicide investigation citing cause of death for Jeremy Price and Freddie Lee Talley III; allegations of GDC hiding manner-of-death information.
- Coosa Valley News – report of foul play in James Cannon’s death at Hays State Prison.
- GPS Telegram relay classifications – details of the April 2026 multiple-homicide incident and the Melvin Johnson beating.
- Court records (via CourtListener) – Daker v. Oliver and Mckenzie v. Oliver lawsuits.
- News reports on contraband smuggling convictions of a former guard and Lieutenant Lakeshia Thomas at Hays State Prison.
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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