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Thomas, Karen
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
Karen Thomas is an active Georgia Department of Corrections employee. Her career began in 2015 as a corrections officer, and she advanced through supervisory roles—lieutenant, captain, unit manager—before being appointed Deputy Warden at Dodge State Prison in January 2024. GPS records attribute four deaths to her leadership tenure, all occurring at Dodge State Prison while she held the deputy warden post. Two federal lawsuits name Thomas as a defendant, and a $16,000 state liability settlement was paid in 2025 for an incident at the facility.What happened on their watch
Dodge State Prison (Deputy Warden, January 2024 – present)
During Thomas’s tenure as deputy warden, four men died in custody at Dodge State Prison.- Kenneth Brown, 58, was found dead in his cell on January 31, 2024. According to Dodge County coroner records obtained by GPS, the manner of death was ruled suicide by hanging; the records note a history of hypertension, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia.
- Sotero Uriquiza-Hernandez, 51, died on May 20, 2025. Coroner records state he became agitated and complained of low back pain after working out, then collapsed and was pronounced dead at 23:03; an autopsy was performed, but a final cause is not yet recorded in the coroner files reviewed by GPS.
- Joseph Chatfield, 62, died on June 13, 2025. He was last known alive at 06:45 and pronounced dead at 09:20. The coroner ordered toxicology testing and left the cause of death blank in the preliminary record; GPS notes no final cause is on file.
- Warren Peacock, 70, died on April 28, 2026. The coroner’s record indicates the death was witnessed and attributed to chronic health conditions (hypertension, kidney disease, COPD, diabetes). The body was released to the GBI for autopsy, but a subsequent open-records request yielded no responsive documents from the GBI, according to GPS’s analysis.
A 2025 state settlement also occurred on Thomas’s watch. The Georgia Department of Administrative Services paid $16,000 to Kimyania Smith for a liability claim tied to an incident at Dodge State Prison that year, per the state’s settlement ledger obtained through an open records request.
Litigation
- Jackson v. White, 3:22-cv-00114 (S.D. Ga., filed Sept. 13, 2022; terminated Apr. 1, 2024). Thomas is listed as a defendant. No monetary settlement appears in GPS records.
- Ross v. White, 3:22-cv-00066 (S.D. Ga., filed June 22, 2022; terminated Oct. 12, 2022). Thomas is named as a defendant. No settlement amount is recorded.
Sources
- Dodge County Coroner open records (2026) — details on the four in-custody deaths at Dodge State Prison.
- GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger — Kimyania Smith settlement, 2025.
- CourtListener dockets for Jackson v. White and Ross v. White.
- GPS intelligence records — personnel timeline, death lists, and accountability tallies.
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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