New Warden at Central State Prison

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Gregory Sampson Promoted

FORSYTH, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Timothy C. Ward announced the promotion of Gregory Sampson to Warden at Central State Prison (SP), effective November 1, 2021, following the retirement of his predecessor, Tracy Jefferson. As Warden, Sampson will be responsible for overseeing approximately 215 staff members and 1,100 medium security male offenders at the facility.

“Sampson has worked his way up through the ranks, gaining a remarkable amount of correctional knowledge throughout his tenure with the GDC,” said Commissioner Timothy C. Ward. “We are confident that he will continue to excel in his new role and uphold the GDC mission in his new position at Central SP.”

Sampson began his career with the department in 2006 as Correctional Officer at Rutledge SP, and in 2013, he was promoted to Sergeant. In 2014, he transferred to Clayton Transitional Center (TC) as a Sergeant, and during his tenure there he was promoted through the ranks of Chief of Security, and Assistant Superintendent.  In 2020, Sampson was promoted to Superintendent at Phillips TC, and in 2021 he transferred to Clayton TC as Superintendent, where he currently serves.

Sampson holds an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Florida Metropolitan University, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor degree in Cybersecurity from American Military College.  His departmental training consists of Basic Correctional Officer Training, Tactical Squad Training, Sergeants Academy, and Correctional Emergency Response Training.

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 47,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 9,000 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.