The Georgia Department of Corrections confirmed it is investigating four deaths which occurred during May at Ware State Prison.
A spokesman said in a written response to an email inquiry by the Waycross Journal-Herald about as many as six recent deaths at the facility, that four deaths were “being investigated by the GDC’s Office of Professional Standards, as standard procedure. However, additional details are not available, as the investigations are ongoing.”
The request to the GDC for information about possible fatalities in the prison came after the WJH received correspondence from a citizen, alleging there had been “six inmates killed in two weeks.” That followed a report of a stabbing death the Human and Civil Rights Coalition of Georgia claimed in a Facebook post.
According to a report by Macon TV station 13-WMAZ, Ware County inmate Kojack Thomas, Jr., was pronounced dead Sunday, May 31, with his death being investigated as a homicide by the GDC. The report said the victim’s body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab to determine the official cause of death.
Thomas, a native of Dodge County, had been serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 2018 deaths of Dodge County couple Wendell and Jain Williams.
This death report follows an alleged stabbing, which the Human and Civil Rights Coalition of Georgia claimed occurred May 21 in a Facebook post.
Ware State Prison has been at the center of controversy regarding allegations of prisoner violence and understaffing for years.
Multiple incidents involving prisoner and staff injuries, prisoner deaths, gang activity and a riot have been reported over the years.
When asked about whether the deaths resulted from gang-related violence or if there were any officer injuries, the GDC stated none of the deaths involved staff injuries.
“Our overall population consists of 75 percent violent offense convictions, with almost 30 percent who are gang-affiliated,” the statement said.
“Individuals who come into our system with violent offenses rarely give up their criminal activities. Therefore, our staff works diligently each and every day in these facilities ensuring our commitment to safe and secure operations remains at the forefront of our daily duties.”
