Fired prison warden gets replacement

Commissioners in northeast Georgia’s Jackson County commissioners have appointed a new prison warden amidst a scandal with the former warden. Former deputy warden Johnny Weaver will replace Vickie Underwood. She was fired in August following allegations that she misused inmate labor and county funds. The investigation into Underwood started when Weaver filed a complaint with the state in June.

Jackson County warden suspended

The Jackson County prison warden has been suspended while under investigation for possible misuse of funds and inmate labor. Jackson County Correctional Institute Warden Vickie Underwood is accused of using prisoners to move her belongings from one house to another, and of using an unspecified amount of county money to buy household items and eyeglasses. In addition, auditors discovered at least six-thousand dollars in county purchases for which Underwood had not submitted invoices. Underwood is on paid administrative leave while the Jackson County Commission investigates the audit’s findings. The correctional institute that Underwood oversees is a medium-security prison where state inmates are used for outdoor labor projects.