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White, Jermaine M
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
Jermaine M. White began his career with the Georgia Department of Corrections as a correctional officer at Wilcox State Prison in 2002. Over more than two decades, he rose through the ranks, holding roles as Lieutenant, Probation/Parole Officer, and Deputy Warden before becoming a Warden. His tenure as a facility-level leader includes serving as Correctional Superintendent and then Warden at Washington State Prison from 2018 through 2019, and subsequently as Warden at Telfair State Prison from 2020 through 2022. GPS records attribute a total of 19 deaths to White’s leadership tenure, all of which occurred at Telfair State Prison. He has been named as a defendant in multiple federal lawsuits filed during his time as a warden, including a pending case, and an intel report documents a $3.2 million state settlement with the family of a man who died at the facility.What happened on their watch
Washington State Prison (2018–2019)
White led Washington State Prison as Correctional Superintendent in 2018 and Warden in 2019. GPS records show no deaths at the facility are attributed to his leadership tenure during this period. However, intel reports contain several facility-related claims that overlap with his time there. A witness claim asserts a man was killed in a homicide at the prison. According to a later report by WGXA, an inmate named Luis Alfonso Ramirez was indicted for directing a drug trafficking network from the prison using contraband cellphones; this federal investigation would culminate years later. Another allegation, published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, states a GDC officer fatally shot inmate Jacob Cole Henson during a fight at a hospital while transporting him for medical treatment from Washington State Prison.Telfair State Prison (2020–2022)
White served as Warden at Telfair State Prison from January 2020 through 2022. All 19 deaths attributed to his leadership tenure occurred during this posting. The deaths spanned from March 2020 to December 2022 and included men from ages 25 to 74. GPS records detail a range of causes. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s homicide investigation, six of these deaths were homicides: Aldrich Norval Cain, 26, and Marcus Derrelle Pearson, 28, died from multiple stab wounds; Cedric Latroy Johnson, 35, from strangulation; Louis Garcia-Palacio, 41, from blunt impact head injuries; Juan Carlos Arguello-Revelles, 37, from a stabbing; and Xavier Lamar Warren, 32, from a stab wound to the torso. The death of William Hiram Lumpkin, 74, was officially recorded as natural causes, but a GPS published account and a witness report allege medical neglect, stating he complained of chest pain and medical staff refused to evaluate him before his death. Another 11 deaths during White’s wardenship are categorized as having undetermined causes.Allegations in intel reports paint a picture of broader systemic issues at Telfair during this time. A family report notes visitation was cancelled last minute without explanation. A claim filed against the state, reported by the AJC, alleged that inmate De’ahmoz Oshmic Floyd was stabbed by several prisoners at a time when no prison staff were present in the dorm. The AJC separately reported that Sergeant Desiree Briley helped a prisoner smuggle and distribute meth inside Telfair for at least two years. A report by 13WMAZ describes an allegation where an officer responded “if he dies, he dies” when an inmate pleaded for help while suffering in extreme heat; the news outlet later documented that the family of Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano reached a $3.2 million settlement with the State of Georgia. Additionally, an AJC report citing workforce data stated Telfair State Prison was missing 76% of its essential workforce, leaving only 36 correctional officers to supervise 1,400 prisoners.
Litigation
- Askew v. White, case no. 5:20-cv-00264, filed July 6, 2020, in GAMD; terminated July 22, 2020.
- Ross v. White, case no. 3:22-cv-00066, filed June 22, 2022, in GASD; terminated October 12, 2022.
- Jackson v. White, case no. 3:22-cv-00114, filed September 13, 2022, in GASD; terminated April 1, 2024.
- Powell v. White, case no. 3:23-cv-00096, filed December 4, 2023, in GASD; terminated March 28, 2024.
- Riggs v. Stewart, case no. 7:23-cv-00124, filed November 21, 2023, in GAMD; terminated December 12, 2023.
- Head v. White, case no. 1:24-cv-04480, filed October 3, 2024, in GAND; status is pending.
Sources
- GPS records — tenure, death counts, and cause categories for Jermaine M. White’s facility-leadership postings
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation, identifying homicides and causes of death at Telfair State Prison; reporting on staff shortages and conditions at Telfair State Prison; report on an officer-involved shooting at Washington State Prison
- 13WMAZ — reporting on a $3.2 million state settlement for a Telfair State Prison death and an allegation of an officer’s statement during an inmate’s medical crisis
- Court records — U.S. District Court dockets for multiple civil cases naming White as a defendant
- WGXA — reporting on a contraband-cellphone drug trafficking indictment tied to Washington State Prison
- GPS published account — witness reports of medical neglect in the death of William Hiram Lumpkin at Telfair State Prison
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| REGION DIRECTOR | 2024-01-01 → present | |
| Southwest Regional Director | 2023-07-01 → present | |
| WARDEN 3 | 2023-01-01 → 2023-06-30 | |
| WARDEN 3 | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2021-01-01 → 2022-12-31 |
| WARDEN 1 | TELFAIR STATE PRISON | 2020-01-01 → 2020-12-31 |
| WARDEN 1 | WASHINGTON STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → 2019-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT | WASHINGTON STATE PRISON | 2018-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | ALBANY TRANSITIONAL CENTER | 2017-01-01 → 2017-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | LEE STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 |
| PROBATION/PAROLEOFFICER(WL) | LEE STATE PRISON | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
| Lieutenant | 2009-01-01 → 2009-12-31 | |
| Correctional Officer | WILCOX STATE PRISON | 2002-01-01 → 2002-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:24-cv-04480 | GAND | 2024-10-03 | pending |
| 3:23-cv-00096 | GASD | 2023-12-04 | terminated |
| 7:23-cv-00124 | GAMD | 2023-11-21 | terminated |
| 3:22-cv-00114 | GASD | 2022-09-13 | terminated |
| 3:22-cv-00066 | GASD | 2022-06-22 | terminated |
| 5:20-cv-00264 | GAMD | 2020-07-06 | terminated |
Deaths attributed during tenure
19 people died at facilities under White, Jermaine M's leadership.
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