The warden who was hired in December to address problems at the Effingham County prison is ready to train a successor and retire. Billy Tompkins was coaxed out of retirement, after 37 years in the state Department of Corrections, to become warden Dec. 28. He addressed a “host of problems” at the prison that were cited in two anonymous emails sent to the Savannah Morning News. The problems included a lack of maintenance, problems with staff members and inmates out on work detail getting drunk on two occasions. “Because of his level of expertise and operational knowledge, he quickly addressed previous matters of concern and implemented procedures which will allow Effingham County to hand the prison off to his successor seamlessly, keeping the facility running smoothly,” a news release from the county said Friday. Tompkins will remain warden through the selection process for a new warden and to help train his successor. The news release said he will retire “this year.” Personnel changes The Effingham prison went through a number of personnel changes recently. The interim warden and a supervisor who were cited in a discrimination lawsuit at the prison were fired for violating standards of practice. The county’s interim director of Human Resources, T.