Three inmates died as officers used nonlethal force to stop the fighting.
DAVISBORO, GA — Three inmates were killed and at least 13 others, including a corrections officer, were injured when multiple fights broke out Sunday afternoon at Washington State Prison, a medium-security facility in Washington County. Authorities said staff moved to quell what they described as a “gang-affiliated disturbance” that erupted inside the compound and was contained after a rapid response.
State prison officials and the Washington County sheriff said the violence began around 1:25 p.m. on Jan. 11 and triggered a lockdown that stretched into Monday while investigators secured the scene and treated the wounded. The Georgia Department of Corrections identified the men who died as Ahmod Hatcher, 23; Jimmy Trammell, 42; and Teddy Jackson, 27. The episode comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Georgia prisons over chronic understaffing, contraband and inmate-on-inmate assaults. Investigators are examining whether rival groups planned the fights and how homemade weapons surfaced so quickly inside the yard and adjoining areas.
Witnesses and officials said the first clashes unfolded along an outdoor walkway and spilled toward a visitation area as injured inmates sought help. “There’s blood and weapons,” one visitor said in an interview, describing chaos that lasted minutes before alarms sounded and officers flooded the unit. Sheriff Joel Cochran called it a “possible riot” with several simultaneous altercations. Prison staff used chemical agents and other nonlethal options to separate groups and restore order. One corrections officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries. By early evening, two inmates were confirmed dead inside the facility; a third died later at a hospital, authorities said.
Records show Washington State Prison can house roughly 1,550 inmates. On Sunday, agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Davisboro Police Department, Milledgeville Police Department and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office helped secure the perimeter while Department of Corrections teams managed the inside. Officials said at least 13 inmates required outside medical treatment, with some transported by ambulance. Investigators recovered multiple improvised weapons. The department did not say how many inmates were directly involved or whether any staff were overpowered. Officials also did not specify the precise housing units affected or how the fighting moved between areas; they said those details remain under review.
Georgia’s prison system has faced repeated warnings over violence and staffing shortfalls, including a federal review last year that cited inmate homicides, gang influence and widespread contraband. Washington State Prison has previously reported security issues common across the system, such as drones suspected of dropping drugs and cellphones near yards and walkways. Advocates note that assaults often spike on weekends and at shift changes, when fewer officers are posted. Sunday’s clashes fit a pattern described by experts as “collective violence,” in which multiple conflicts ignite at once and overwhelm thinly staffed posts before emergency teams can respond.
As of Monday evening, the Department of Corrections said the prison remained under heightened security while its Office of Professional Standards led the internal investigation alongside the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the county coroner. Autopsies for Hatcher, Trammell and Jackson were being scheduled, and next-of-kin notifications were underway. Officials said they were reviewing video, radio logs and door movements to map the timeline from the first call at 1:25 p.m. to full containment, which they estimated at under two hours. No criminal charges had been announced. Authorities said they will release more details, including unit assignments and disciplinary actions, after preliminary findings.
Outside the prison, family members who had come for Sunday visits described sprinting officers, shouted commands and the hiss of chemical spray drifting on a cold afternoon. “It happened in seconds,” said a visitor who asked not to be named, adding that staff ushered civilians to safety once the alarms sounded. Local residents reported a surge of patrol cars along the two-lane road leading to the complex. By nightfall, the gates were closed, and a string of law-enforcement vehicles idled under the floodlights while medical transports came and went.
By Tuesday morning, Washington State Prison remained on restricted movement while investigators processed evidence and interviewed witnesses. Officials said the next update is expected after preliminary autopsy results and an internal incident review later this week.
Author note: Last updated January 13, 2026.