New Warden at Wilcox State Prison

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Lawrence Whittington Promoted

FORSYTH, Ga. – Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Timothy C. Ward announced the promotion of Lawrence Whittington to Warden at Wilcox State Prison (SP), effective December 1, 2020. As Warden, Whittington will be responsible for overseeing 265 staff at the facility and approximately 1840 medium-security male offenders.

“Whittington has shown exceptional leadership skills during his 25 years with the agency,” said Commissioner Timothy C. Ward. “We are confident he will use those skills excel in his new role as Warden at Wilcox State Prison.”

Whittington began his career with the Department in 1995 as a Correctional Officer at Wilcox SP.  During his tenure at Wilcox SP, he was promoted to Sergeant and served as Tactical Squad (TACT) Commander.  In 2000, he was promoted to Lieutenant at Dooly SP, where he also served as TACT Commander, and in 2003, he transferred to Dooly SP as Lieutenant. Whittington was promoted to Unit Manager at Macon SP in 2003, and later that year, he was promoted to Assistant Superintendent at Western Pre-Release Center. After working at Central PDC, Bleckley PDC, and Pulaski SP, he returned to Wilcox SP in 2016 as the Deputy Warden of Security.  In 2018, he was appointed as Special Assistant to the Warden at Valdosta SP, and in 2019, he transferred to Wilcox SP as Special Assistant to the Warden, where he currently serves.

Whittington received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Thomas University and an Associate degree in Criminal Justice from Middle Georgia College. He has completed the following departmental training: Basic Correctional Officer Training, Basic Management Training, Advanced Management Training, Sergeant’s Academy, Professional Management Program, Corrections Leadership Institute, and Warden’s Pre-Command Academy.

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 50,000 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.