Home › Intelligence › Personnel Accountability › Ward, Alicia Necole
Ward, Alicia Necole
Status: active
Profile written July 19, 2026
Salary
$72,428
2025 · state payroll
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
Alicia Necole Ward began her career with the Georgia Department of Corrections as a correctional officer at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in 2014. Over the next decade, she rose through the ranks, serving as a field training officer at Wilcox State Prison in 2016, a sergeant back at Georgia Diagnostic from 2017 to 2019, a lieutenant, and a correctional unit manager. In December 2024, Ward was appointed Deputy Warden of Administration at Dodge State Prison, a facility-deputy role she continues to hold. GPS records attribute three deaths to her leadership tenure at Dodge State Prison, all occurring while she held the deputy warden post. No lawsuits name Ward as a defendant.What happened on their watch
At Dodge State Prison, where Ward has served as deputy warden since December 2024, three deaths were recorded during her tenure, according to GPS records. On May 20, 2025, Sotero Uriquiza-Hernandez, 51, collapsed after reportedly working out and exhibiting agitation and low back pain; officials pronounced him dead at 11:03 p.m. The case is categorized as a cause‑1 (unnatural) death, and an autopsy was performed. On June 13, 2025, Joseph Chatfield, 62, was last seen alive at 6:45 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 9:20 a.m.; the coroner left the cause blank and ordered toxicology tests, leaving the death in an undetermined category. On April 28, 2026, Warren Peacock, 70, died after being witnessed in medical distress; he had a history of chronic hypertension, kidney disease, COPD, and diabetes. The death is listed as cause category 6 (unknown) pending autopsy and toxicology results. During her tenure, a $16,000 state liability settlement for an incident at Dodge State Prison involving Kimyania Smith was paid on May 26, 2025, per GA DOAS Risk Management records.Sources
- GPS personnel and death records for Ward, Alicia Necole
- Coroner and death investigation records accessed by GPS for Uriquiza-Hernandez, Chatfield, and Peacock
- GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (open records) for the Kimyania Smith settlement
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | DODGE STATE PRISON | 2025-01-01 → present |
| Deputy Warden of Administration | DODGE STATE PRISON | 2024-12-01 → present |
| CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | 2023-01-01 → 2024-11-30 | |
| CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | 2020-01-01 → 2022-12-31 | |
| CORRECTIONAL SERGEANT | GEORGIA DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION STATE PRISON | 2017-01-01 → 2019-12-31 |
| Field Training Officer | WILCOX STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 |
| Correctional Officer | GEORGIA DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION STATE PRISON | 2014-01-01 → 2014-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:25-cv-03191 | GAND | 2025-06-06 | terminated |
| 5:21-cv-00461 | GAMD | 2021-12-27 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
3 people died at facilities under Ward, Alicia Necole'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 |
Submit a correction
If you are the named individual or an authorized representative and dispute information on this page, submit details below. Substantiated corrections are applied promptly. Disputes that remain unresolved are flagged on the profile.