The Georgia Department of Corrections has named a longtime Hays State Prison employee as the facility’s new warden, filling the leadership position following the unexpected death of Warden Joshua Jones earlier this summer.

GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver announced Friday that Gabriel Illa has been promoted from Deputy Warden of Security to Warden of Hays State Prison, effective September 1.

Illa will oversee the prison’s staff and approximately 1,086 male offenders at the close-security facility in Chattooga County.

“Gabriel has worked his way up through the ranks and excelled in each position he has held with the agency,” Oliver said in announcing the promotion, adding that Illa’s correctional experience will be valuable to Hays’ staff and mission.

Illa’s Career Started At Hays

The new warden already has nearly two decades of experience at the institution he will now lead.

Illa began his Georgia Department of Corrections career in 2007 as a correctional officer at Hays State Prison.

He subsequently worked his way through a number of security and supervisory positions, serving as a CERT Sergeant, Lieutenant, Tactical Squad member, Chief of Security and Unit Manager. In 2023, Illa was promoted to Deputy Warden of Security at Hays, the position he held before being selected as warden.

His earlier service as a unit manager is also documented in federal court records. A 2025 federal court decision involving events at Hays in 2020 identifies Illa as the unit manager responsible for the unit involved in that case. The court ultimately granted summary judgment to Illa and the other defendants in that lawsuit.

Education And Specialized Training

Illa holds an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Dalton State University and a bachelor’s degree from Reinhardt University.

His GDC training includes Basic Correctional Officer Training and Special Operations Training, along with the department’s Sergeant’s Academy, three levels each of supervision and management training, Chief of Security Academy and Deputy Warden’s Academy.

His experience with the prison’s CERT and Tactical Squad is particularly relevant at Hays, which is one of Georgia’s close-security prisons. GDC describes Hays as a facility responsible for housing and managing some of the state’s most challenging offenders. The prison also maintains its own CERT Team, Tactical Squad and Canine Unit.

Illa Succeeds The Late Joshua Jones

Illa’s appointment comes less than two months after the unexpected death of Hays State Prison Warden Joshua Jones.

Jones died July 4 at the age of 39. He had served as warden at Hays since July 2023.

There are notable similarities between the careers of Jones and Illa.

Both began working for the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2007, and both rose through the ranks before becoming warden at Hays.

Jones began as a correctional officer at Walker State Prison. He later came to Hays, where he served as Sergeant, Lieutenant, Unit Manager and Deputy Warden of Security before Commissioner Oliver promoted him to warden in 2023.

Illa now follows a similar path, moving directly from the Deputy Warden of Security position into the prison’s top job.

One Of Georgia’s Close-Security Prisons

Hays State Prison was constructed in 1989 and opened in 1990. GDC lists the facility’s capacity at 1,101 inmates.

In addition to general-population housing, Hays operates Tier I and Tier II units and step-down housing and provides extensive mental-health services. The prison offers educational, vocational, counseling, substance-abuse and reentry programs.

The prison has also historically been a significant state employer in Chattooga County.

Illa’s promotion means Hays will once again be led by someone who has spent much of his corrections career working inside the local institution.

When he officially assumes the position tomorrow, Tuesday, September 1, Illa will move from overseeing security operations to responsibility for the entire prison — nearly 19 years after beginning his career there as a correctional officer.