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Woodard, Ylitha L
Status: active
Profile written June 28, 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
Ylitha L. Woodard’s career with the Georgia Department of Corrections began in 2013 in a series of financial operations roles, primarily at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison. After holding positions such as Financial Operations Generalist and Accounting Technician, Woodard transitioned to a leadership tier on November 16, 2024, as Deputy Warden of Administration at Rutledge State Prison, and was subsequently recorded as DEPUTY WARDEN for 2025. Those deputy warden posts are the only leadership positions in the record. GPS records attribute five deaths to Rutledge State Prison during Woodard’s leadership tenure; no deaths are assigned to the earlier financial-support postings. Woodard is not named as a defendant in any lawsuits in the provided data.What happened on their watch
Rutledge State Prison (Deputy Warden of Administration / Deputy Warden, 2024–present)
Five deaths occurred at Rutledge while Woodard held a deputy warden role. On December 29, 2024, Joe Payne, 73, died (cause category 6, no further note). William Edward Houston, 75, died on April 10, 2025 (cause category 6). Alan Thomas Bryant, 46, died on June 1, 2025; the death is noted as “Natural causes” (cause category 1). Two weeks later, on June 15, 2025, Brandon Keith Bolden, 37, died, with the record explicitly noting “Homocide” (cause category 3). Jonathan Lloyd Myers, 38, died on May 3, 2026 (cause category 6).The facility also saw several allegations and lawsuits during this period. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Curtis Mincey’s sister filed a lawsuit alleging he suffered from a mental illness but did not receive appropriate medical or psychological assistance; the lawsuit was docketed on January 21, 2025. Separately, the AJC detailed that a Rutledge sergeant, Erika Shonquandria Hall, had allegedly admitted to providing prisoners with cellphones, chargers, tobacco, and food in exchange for money on multiple occasions.
Litigation
None. The structured record shows no lawsuits naming Ylitha L. Woodard as a defendant.Sources
- GPS records — personnel timeline, death counts by facility, and individual death records for Payne, Houston, Bryant, Bolden, and Myers.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — report on the lawsuit and allegations of neglect in the death of Curtis Mincey at Rutledge State Prison, and the contraband scheme involving Sgt. Hall at the same facility.
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | 2025-01-01 → present |
| Deputy Warden of Administration | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | 2024-11-16 → present |
| ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN 3 | 2024-01-01 → 2024-11-15 | |
| FINANCIAL OPS GENERALIST 3 | 2018-01-01 → 2023-12-31 | |
| FINANCIAL OPS GENERALIST 2 | GEORGIA DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2017-12-31 |
| FINANCIAL OPS GEN (AL) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 | |
| Financial Operations Generalist | GEORGIA DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION STATE PRISON | 2013-01-01 → 2013-12-31 |
Deaths attributed during tenure
5 people died at facilities under Woodard, Ylitha L's leadership.
| Date | Decedent | Age | Facility | Role at time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-03 | JONATHAN LLOYD MYERS | 38 | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2025-06-15 | BRANDON KEITH BOLDEN | 37 | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2025-06-01 | ALAN THOMAS BRYANT | 46 | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2025-04-10 | WILLIAM EDWARD HOUSTON | 75 | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | DEPUTY WARDEN |
| 2024-12-29 | JOE PAYNE | 73 | RUTLEDGE STATE PRISON | Deputy Warden of Administration |
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