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Thomas, Karen
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
Karen Thomas began her career with the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) in 2015, advancing from a Correctional Officer through supervisory roles — Lieutenant, Captain, and Unit Manager — before being appointed Deputy Warden at Dodge State Prison in 2024, a position she held through at least 2025. GPS records attribute four deaths to her leadership tenure, all occurring at Dodge State Prison while she served as Deputy Warden. During that same period, a state settlement of $16,000 was paid out tied to an incident at the facility, and Thomas was a named defendant in two federal lawsuits that were filed earlier in her career but terminated before she became Deputy Warden.What happened on their watch
Thomas became Deputy Warden of Dodge State Prison on January 1, 2024. The first attributed death occurred later that month: on January 31, 2024, Kenneth Brown, 58, was found dead in his cell. The coroner recorded the death as a suicide by hanging; Brown had been seen alive earlier that morning and was pronounced dead at 10:30 a.m. According to the coroner’s report (ORR 2026-06-30), he had underlying conditions including hypertension, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia.During 2025, two more people died at the prison. On May 20, 2025, Sotero Uriquiza-Hernandez, 51, collapsed after reporting agitation and low back pain following a workout; he was pronounced at 11:03 p.m. The coroner ordered an autopsy, noting he was on multiple antihypertensive medications. Less than a month later, on June 13, 2025, Joseph Chatfield, 62, was found unresponsive in the morning and pronounced at 9:20 a.m. The coroner’s external exam did not determine a cause; toxicology tests were ordered, and the cause remained blank pending further results. Also in 2025, a settlement recorded in the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) Risk Management ledger shows that the state paid $16,000 to Kimyania Smith for an incident at Dodge State Prison on May 26, 2025. While Thomas was not a named defendant in that specific agreement, it involved the facility under her oversight.
A fourth death is attributed to Thomas’s tenure after the close of the available salary records: on April 28, 2026, Warren Peacock, 70, died at Dodge State Prison. His death was witnessed at 10:43 p.m., and the coroner noted chronic conditions including hypertension, kidney disease, COPD, and diabetes. An autopsy and toxicology tests were pending. The coroner’s file lists Thomas as the Deputy Warden at the time.
Litigation
- Jackson v. White (3:22-cv-00114, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, filed September 13, 2022, terminated April 1, 2024). Thomas was a defendant. No settlement amount or detailed allegations are available in GPS records for this case.
- Ross v. White (3:22-cv-00066, same court, filed June 22, 2022, terminated October 12, 2022). Thomas was a defendant. The case closed shortly after filing; GPS records do not detail the nature of the claims.
Sources
- Coroner reports (ORR 2026-06-30) — documentation for deaths of Kenneth Brown, Sotero Uriquiza-Hernandez, Joseph Chatfield, and Warren Peacock at Dodge State Prison.
- Georgia DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger — records the $16,000 settlement with Kimyania Smith regarding a 2025 incident at Dodge State Prison.
- Court records via CourtListener — case filings for Jackson v. White and Ross v. White in the Southern District of Georgia.
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | DODGE STATE PRISON | 2024-01-01 → present |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2021-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL CAPTAIN | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:22-cv-00114 | GASD | 2022-09-13 | terminated |
| 3:22-cv-00066 | GASD | 2022-06-22 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
4 people died at facilities under Thomas, Karen's leadership.
| Date | Decedent | Age | Facility | Role at time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-28 | WARREN PEACOCK | 70 | DODGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2025-06-13 | JOSEPH CHATFIELD | 62 | DODGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2025-05-20 | SOTERO URIQUIZA-HERNANDEZ | 51 | DODGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2024-01-31 | KENNETH BROWN | 58 | DODGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
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