Roll of Honor
Incident
Correctional Officer Jerome McBurrough died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Valdosta State Prison at 3259 Val Tech Road in Valdosta.
Officer McBurrough was a United States Army Reserve veteran and had served with the Georgia Department of Corrections for over 24 years.
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer Jerome McBurrough died on June 23, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 56.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 12 at Georgia Dept. of Corrections.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-8D8AB0D7- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Correctional Officer McBurrough gave the Georgia Department of Corrections 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Georgia. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer McBurrough.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Jerome McBurrough served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Correctional Officer Jerome McBurrough is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In GA, 63 of 903 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Georgia Dept. of Corrections, 12 of 38 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 31.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jerome McBurrough's cause is highlighted.
How Jerome McBurrough Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Jerome McBurrough is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
37 officers from Georgia Dept. of Corrections are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
