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Correctional Officer

Jerome McBurrough

Georgia Department of Corrections — Atlanta, GA

Veteran → Illness

End of Watch June 23, 2020

Age 56

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

The Vigil Panel 172 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 37

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 Department 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: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Jerome. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Jerome is one person.

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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

Department Georgia Department of Corrections

Type Corrections

Location Atlanta, GA

Platform Identity gdcorr.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 23, 2020

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

Age 56

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Jerome McBurrough served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Correctional Officer Jerome McBurrough is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In GA, 63 of 905 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 7% of this state's fallen. That is 7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Georgia Department of Corrections, 12 of 38 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 31.6% of this agency's fallen.

Georgia Department of Corrections

of 38 officers

31.6% Illness

GA — Statewide

of 905 officers

7% Illness

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Illness