Georgia Prison Had Five Officers for 69 Posts When Four Inmates Died

Open records reveal Washington State Prison operated with just five officers covering 69 security posts when four inmates died in January 2026's deadliest prison violence, while officials failed to file incident reports and a coroner claims no knowledge of deaths he publicly confirmed.

Shift rosters obtained through open records show Washington State Prison had only five to six correctional officers assigned to cover 69 designated security posts on the days surrounding Georgia's deadliest prison violence in years, leaving every housing unit unstaffed and visitation posts empty. The January 2026 riot that killed four men exposes not just staffing failures but a pattern of deliberate indifference—with no incident reports filed four days after the violence and a coroner who now claims no knowledge of deaths his office publicly confirmed.

Facility Breakdown

Washington State Prison

Hancock State Prison

What GPS Documented (Original Findings)

• Washington State Prison had 69 designated security posts but only 5-6 correctional officers assigned on January 9-10, 2026 (GPS analysis of FAIR Georgia Open Records Response, Reference # R026183-011226)
• GDC possessed no incident reports for January 7-12, 2026 as of January 15, 2026—four days after the riot (GPS analysis of FAIR Georgia Open Records Response)
• All housing units at Washington State Prison were unstaffed on January 9-10, 2026, including E-1 Dorm (Administrative Segregation) (GPS analysis of shift rosters obtained by FAIR Georgia)
• Washington County Deputy Coroner Mark Hodges confirmed Dajhmere Hall's death to media on January 9, but county attorney later said coroner has 'no knowledge' of Hall (GPS analysis of 13WMAZ report and Washington County Attorney correspondence)

Data source: GPS analysis of GDC shift rosters obtained through FAIR Georgia open records requests and family interviews

What DOJ Already Confirmed

• Georgia's prisons violate the Eighth Amendment due to deliberate indifference to violence (Pages DOJ Findings Report)
• Georgia's classification system is broken - GDC does not enforce housing assignments, enabling gangs to dictate placement (Pages DOJ Findings Report)
• Georgia prisons have non-working alarms, broken locks, and severe staff shortages (Pages DOJ Findings Report)

What GDC Concealed

• Shift rosters for January 11 (riot day) and January 12 were withheld from open records response
• No press release issued about five inmates stabbed at Hancock State Prison on January 12
• Death investigation files for Joshua Holiday withheld citing 'security' reasons

Quotables

"My son was supposed to be safe. These people in prison are humans. They're not animals."

— Deamonte, mother of Ahmod Hatcher

"It's like they're just letting them run around, do whatever. They weren't trying to stop nothing."

— Michelle Lett, aunt of Jimmy Trammell

"The GDC possesses no documents responsive to the request for incident reports between 1/7/2026 and 1/12/2026. Any incident reports have not been completed as of this time."

— GDC response to FAIR Georgia open records request

"He also added that he has no knowledge of an individual by the name of Dajhmere Hall."

— Washington County Attorney Joseph C. Sumner, Jr., relaying coroner's statement

Story Angles

• Local: Washington County families affected by prison deaths and coroner's contradictory statements about death investigations
• Policy: $600 million prison budget increase vs. documented understaffing crisis that led to preventable deaths
• Accountability: Officials who ignored DOJ warnings about violence while operating prisons with skeleton crews
• Data: Comparative analysis of staffing levels across Georgia prison system and national standards

Records Journalists Should Request

Georgia Open Records Act:

1. Shift rosters for January 11-12, 2026 — Georgia Department of Corrections
2. All incident reports for Washington State Prison — Georgia Department of Corrections
3. Death investigation records for Dajhmere Hall, Jimmy Trammell, Ahmod Hatcher, Teddy Jackson — Washington County Coroner
4. Emergency response logs and communications — Georgia Department of Corrections

Federal FOIA:

1. DOJ Civil Rights Division correspondence with Georgia regarding prison conditions — DOJ Civil Rights Division

Sources Available for Interview

Families:

• Deamonte, mother of Ahmod Hatcher
• Michelle Lett, aunt of Jimmy Trammell

Incarcerated Witnesses:

• Jennifer Fender, visitor who witnessed riot from visitation room
• Incarcerated witnesses via Telegram communications

Experts:

• Allen Wigington — FAIR Georgia

Officials Who Should Be Asked for Comment

• Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner — Oversees system with documented staffing crisis; told legislators fixing locks could take 5-6 years
• Veronica Stewart, Warden — Current warden of facility where four died; previously at Telfair SP with history of deaths
• Mark Hodges, Deputy Coroner — Confirmed Hall's death to media, then coroner claimed no knowledge of Hall
• Joseph C. Sumner, Jr., County Attorney — Responded to records requests; relayed coroner's contradictory statements
• Brian Kemp, Governor — Authorized $600 million prison budget increase; oversees corrections system

Questions GDC Has Not Answered

1. Why were only 5-6 officers assigned to cover 69 security posts at Washington State Prison?
2. Why were no incident reports filed for four days after a mass-casualty event?
3. Why were shift rosters for January 11 (riot day) and January 12 not provided in response to records request?
4. How can the GDC claim professional response when visitation was unstaffed during the riot?

Source Documents

• FAIR Georgia Open Records Response R026183-011226 — Contains shift rosters showing 5-6 officers for 69 posts and confirmation no incident reports exist
• DOJ Findings Report on Georgia Prisons — Federal findings documenting constitutional violations in Georgia prison system
• GDC Press Release January 12, 2026 — Official statement about Washington State Prison deaths