Former Correctional Officers Indicted for Inmate Death in Augusta State Medical Prison Fire Incident

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A federal grand jury has indicted two former Augusta State Medical Prison correctional officers, Robert Roberson and Marcus Phillips, for their involvement in the death of inmate Thomas Henry Giles, who died following a fire in his cell on October 28, 2020. They are charged with violating the inmate's constitutional rights by showing deliberate indifference to the risk posed by the fire, as they failed to act to extinguish it or evacuate Giles. Roberson also faces charges for falsifying a logbook to conceal his actions, while the state has settled a lawsuit with Giles' family for $5 million, marking a significant payment in cases involving inmate deaths in Georgia.