DAVISBORO, GA. — Twelve prisoners have been charged with murder and other crimes following a deadly fight at Washington State Prison in January, corrections officials said. The fight left four inmates dead and a dozen injured.

The fighting broke out Jan. 11 in an outdoor area of the medium-security facility in Davisboro, about 130 miles southeast of Atlanta. Guards used non-lethal weapons to quell the fighting, bringing the situation under control in about 90 minutes.

In addition to murder, the prisoners are charged with aggravated assault, gang participation and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution, according to department spokesperson Joan Heath. The investigation into the fight remains active, Heath said.

A 2024 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, which followed a civil rights investigation, said Georgia prison officials were "deliberately indifferent" to unchecked deadly violence, widespread drug use, extortion and sexual abuse at state lockups. The report found that sophisticated gangs run prison black markets trafficking in drugs, weapons and electronic devices such as drones and smartphones. State officials denied they were violating inmates' constitutional rights at the time of the 2024 report.

The number of homicides in Georgia prisons rose from seven in 2018 to 35 in 2023. The state has directed more than $600 million in new spending to the Department of Corrections in recent years.

Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver and others said the COVID-19 pandemic led to a staffing crisis in state prisons as many prison guards resigned. Oliver told lawmakers in December 2024 that the state is still 1,000 guards short of recommended staffing levels.