New Warden at Georgia State Prison

Commissioner: Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

James Deal Promoted

FORSYTH, Ga. – Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier announced the promotion of James Deal to Warden at Georgia State Prison, effective October 1, 2018. As Warden, Deal will be responsible for overseeing 537 staff members and 1,937 special mission male offenders.

“James’ vast knowledge and almost 30 years of experience make him a great asset to the department,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozer. “We know he will continue to excel in his new position as Warden at Georgia State Prison.” 

Deal began his career with the Georgia Department of Corrections in 1989 as a Correctional Officer at Coastal State Prison. He progressed through the ranks as Correctional Officer I, II, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and later Deputy Warden of Security at Coastal State Prison, where he remained until his transfer to Rogers State Prison in 2008. Deal continued to serve as Deputy Warden of Security at Rogers State Prison and at Smith State Prison, until his promotion in 2014, to the position of Auditor with the Audits and Compliance Unit. In 2016, he was promoted to Senior Auditor and later that year became the first Statewide Senior Auditor for the Audits Unit.  He currently serves as the Warden at Ware State Prison since 2017. 

Deal has participated in Coursera, an online College/University program, attended the Community College of the Air Force, and completed training with the Savannah Vocational Technical College. He has completed the following departmental training: Basic Correctional Officer Training (BCOT), Basic Management Training (BMT), the Professional Management Training (PMP), Pre-Command, and the Corrections Leadership Institute (CLI).  Additionally, Deal served 22 years in the Air National Guard.

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.