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West, Sandi R
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
Sandi R. West’s career with the Georgia Department of Corrections spans two decades, beginning as a Sergeant at Smith State Prison in 2003 and progressing through unit supervisor and deputy warden roles before assuming facility-lead positions. GPS records show she later served as a Correctional Superintendent from 2021 through 2023 and was appointed Warden at Rogers State Prison in 2024, a post she holds as of 2025. During her tenure as the facility’s top official, six people died while in the custody of Rogers State Prison.What happened on their watch
Rogers State Prison — Warden (2024–2025)
Six deaths have been attributed to Rogers State Prison while West held the warden role, per GPS records. The decedents range in age from 29 to 60, and the causes of death are diverse. In July 2024, Shawn Remar Johnson, 34, died of an unlisted cause (cause category 6). Two months later, Taylor Anthony Hunt, 29, also died under a category 6 classification; GPS records flag multiple unverified reports alleging that Hunt’s death, officially ruled a suicide, showed physical signs inconsistent with self-inflicted injury, including ligature marks, broken bones, and puncture wounds. Those allegations remain unconfirmed in public sources. In February 2025, David Edward Wood succumbed to natural causes (coronary and hypertensive heart disease complicated by influenza), and the same month Randy Eugene Stewart, 60, died of E. coli peritonitis after a perforated duodenum, with a death certificate signed by an attending physician at Memorial University Medical Center. The coroner record notes West was listed as the family-notification contact. Justin Waymon Hollingsworth, 43, died by suicide via hanging in his cell in June 2025, according to a GBI medical examiner’s autopsy; investigators cited mental health issues and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. The most recent death is John Meeks, 49, in February 2026, also classified under cause category 6. An additional allegation referenced in GPS intelligence records points to a “Guard Stabbing Incident” at Rogers State Prison, though details remain scarce.
Litigation
- Jackson v. Catanzariti, No. 6:12-cv-00113 (S.D. Ga., filed Dec. 10, 2012, terminated June 28, 2023). West is named as a defendant in this case, which was filed while she held the rank of Lieutenant at Smith State Prison. The docket is accessible via CourtListener.
Sources
- GPS personnel records and coroner packet extracts — deaths and employment timeline for Sandi R. West.
- CourtListener — Jackson v. Catanzariti docket (defendant listing).
- GPS intelligence events — unverified reports concerning the suspicious death of Taylor Hunt and a guard stabbing incident at Rogers State Prison.
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| WARDEN 1 | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2024-01-01 → present |
| Warden | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2024-06-16 → 2026-05-31 |
| CORRECTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT | 2021-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | WOMEN’S PROBATION DETENTION CENTER | 2020-01-01 → 2020-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | MONTGOMERY STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → 2019-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | MONTGOMERY STATE PRISON | 2018-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2017-01-01 → 2017-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONS OFFICER (SP) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 | |
| Lieutenant | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2011-01-01 → 2011-12-31 |
| Sergeant | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2003-01-01 → 2003-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:12-cv-00113 | GASD | 2012-12-10 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
6 people died at facilities under West, Sandi R's leadership.
| Date | Decedent | Age | Facility | Role at time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-19 | JOHN MEEKS | 49 | ROGERS STATE PRISON | WARDEN 1 |
| 2025-07-17 | RANDY EUGENE STEWART | 60 | ROGERS STATE PRISON | WARDEN 1 |
| 2025-06-26 | JUSTIN WAYMON HOLLINGSWORTH | 43 | ROGERS STATE PRISON | WARDEN 1 |
| 2025-02-04 | David Edward Wood | — | ROGERS STATE PRISON | WARDEN 1 |
| 2024-09-27 | TAYLOR ANTHONY HUNT | 29 | ROGERS STATE PRISON | Warden |
| 2024-07-23 | SHAWN REMAR JOHNSON | 34 | ROGERS STATE PRISON | Warden |
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