WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ga. — Twelve prisoners have been charged with murder months after four inmates died in a fight at a Georgia state prison.
The fight happened on Jan. 11 in an outdoor area of Washington State Prison. One of the inmates who died was just days away from being released.
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The Georgia Department of Corrections has now charged the following inmates for their roles in the fight.
- Bryce Sims
- Versache Evans
- Willie Beckham
- Kadeem Blenman
- Aquinas Bush
- Christopher Bonner
- Jacorey Streeter
- Paul White
- Eric Howard
- Brandon Drummond
- Christian Brown
- Javarius Spaulding
They are also charged with aggravated assault, gang participation and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution.
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The fight came less than two years after a 2024 report by the U.S. Department of Justice said Georgia prison officials were “deliberately indifferent” to unchecked deadly violence, widespread drug use, extortion and sexual abuse at state lockups.
The report, which followed a civil rights investigation, found sophisticated gangs were running prison black markets. Investigators also cited a rising number of homicides in Georgia prisons.
The number went from seven in 2018 to 35 in 2023.
State officials denied they were violating inmates’ constitutional rights at the time of the 2024 report, but Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver and others have acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a staffing crisis in state prisons as many prison guards resigned.
The state has pumped more than $600 million in new spending into the Department of Corrections in recent years.
The funding has helped the department hire more guards. But the state says it still needs another 1,000 guards to meet staffing levels.
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