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Turner, Dennis J
Status: active
Profile written July 19, 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
Dennis J. Turner began his career with the Georgia Department of Corrections as a public‑safety trainer in 2015, rising through the ranks to Correctional Unit Manager in 2023 and then Deputy Warden at Central State Prison in 2024. GPS records attribute 19 deaths to his leadership tenure, all occurring at Central State Prison while he held the facility‑deputy role. The period was marked by a mix of natural‑cause fatalities, at least one confirmed homicide by stabbing, and a reported suicide in segregation, alongside allegations of guard‑on‑inmate violence and a broader pattern of institutional disorder documented by outside watchdogs.What happened on their watch
Turner assumed the Deputy Warden position at Central State Prison on January 1, 2024. Between February 2024 and July 2026, GPS records count 19 in‑custody deaths at the facility. The deaths included individuals like Adel Eackles (64, natural causes on February 10, 2024), Leon Culver Kelly (47, stabbed to death on December 9, 2024, as confirmed by a coroner’s report cited by 13WMAZ), Miguel Angel Duran (44, suicide in the segregation unit on March 1, 2026, per an AI‑detected Telegram relay), and Mickey Barrett (homicide, July 11, 2026). Other deaths were attributed to medical events, accidental overdoses, and causes still listed as unknown.During the same 2024–2026 period, Central State Prison was the subject of multiple incident reports. In March 2025, three former guards were accused of beating an incarcerated man and attempting a cover‑up, according to 13WMAZ. In December 2025, a guard at the prison was charged with falsely imprisoning four Department of Family and Children Services employees, also reported by 13WMAZ. The Georgia Department of Corrections investigated at least two inmate‑on‑inmate fights in early 2026. Georgia Public Broadcasting, relying on department data, reported that severe staff shortages had allowed gangs to effectively run Georgia prisons, contributing to rising violence and deaths, and that families of those who died were left without information—conditions that overlapped Turner’s tenure.
The intel record also notes that the Department of Justice had earlier documented stabbings at Central State in 2023, including the barbershop killing of Marquis L. Johnson and the death of Hollis Alan Bryant, which resulted in criminal charges against other incarcerated individuals (AJC). While those deaths occurred before Turner’s watch, the persistent violence and security lapses formed the backdrop for the fatalities and allegations that followed under his oversight.
Litigation
- Gumm v. Jacobs, Case No. 5:15‑cv‑00041 (U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia). Filed February 12, 2015; terminated May 7, 2019. Dennis J. Turner was named as a defendant. The disposition and any monetary outcome are not publicly listed in the court docket. The lawsuit predates Turner’s leadership‑tier positions.
Sources
- GPS records — official mortality data attributing 19 deaths to Central State Prison during Turner’s tenure as Deputy Warden (2024–2026).
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — DOJ report detailing 2023 homicides at Central State Prison and systemic violence.
- 13WMAZ — reporting on the March 2025 guard‑beating cover‑up, the December 2025 guard false‑imprisonment case, and the December 2024 stabbing death of Leon Kelly.
- Georgia Public Broadcasting — coverage of staff shortages, gang control, and transparency failures in Georgia prisons (2023 onward).
- CourtListener — docket for Gumm v. Jacobs, showing Turner as a defendant (2015–2019).
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | CENTRAL STATE PRISON | 2024-01-01 → present |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2023-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| PUBLIC SAFETY, TRAINER 3 | 2021-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | |
| PUBLIC SAFETY, TRAINER 1 | 2016-01-01 → 2020-12-31 | |
| PUBLIC SAFETY TRN (WL) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:16-cv-00378 | GAND | 2016-02-08 | terminated |
| 5:15-cv-00041 | GAMD | 2015-02-12 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
19 people died at facilities under Turner, Dennis J's leadership.
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