Commissioner: Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

FORSYTH, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is investigating the death of an inmate at Valdosta State Prison in Valdosta, Ga.

On July 14 at approximately 8:15 p.m., Correctional Officers found inmate Herman Galeno (GDC #1289986) unresponsive in his cell. Prison medical staff responded and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and at 8:27 p.m., Emergency Medical Services arrived. Galeno was pronounced deceased 8:38 p.m. by Emergency Medical Services. The Coroner was notified at 8:40 p.m. and at 10:31 p.m., the Georgia Bureau of Investigations arrived at the facility. GDC is conducting an investigation into the death, as standard procedure.

Galeno was sentenced to 20 years in Cobb County for armed robbery, with a maximum release date of 2027. Further information can be found on the GDC website at https://gdc.georgia.gov.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.