State prison officials have named a new interim warden at a northwest Georgia prison where three inmates have died since mid-December.

Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens on Wednesday named Rick Jacobs acting warden at Hays State Prison in Trion.

Jacobs says he's assessing the situation at the prison and wants to take a big step forward to ensure the safety of the inmates, the staff and the community.

Two inmates were killed during fights and a third was found dead in his cell. A fourth inmate was killed at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson Tuesday, the same day he was transferred there from Hays State. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the deaths.

Hays State warden Clay Tatum is being reassigned within the department.

Tags: Department of Corrections, Hays State Prison, inmate deaths, new warden