Valdosta State Prison

VALDOSTA — The warden of Valdosta State Prison has been fired from his job due to “unprofessional conduct,” prison authorities said Friday.

Ralph Shropshire’s employment was ended Monday, according to a statement from the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Exactly what events led to Shropshire’s dismissal were not released by the corrections department. “We will not be commenting further regarding the dismissal, as it is a personnel matter,” the statement said.

Shropshire was hired by the corrections department in 2006 as a corrections officer at Hays State Prison. As he moved up through the ranks, he became deputy warden of security at Valdosta State Prison in 2019. He became the Valdosta prison’s warden March 1, 2023.

During his 16-month tenure as warden, Valdosta State Prison saw at least five inmates die by homicide or suicide.

In May, five Valdosta State prison officers were among 150 suspects arrested during a probe into a multi-state criminal operation involving contraband in Georgia prisons.

All five of the Valdosta State Prison officers were charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, while other charges range from sexual assault by persons with authority to trading with inmates, an earlier statement from the corrections department said.

The probe — Operation Skyhawk — uncovered the use of drones to bring contraband into Georgia prisons, a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said.