The Georgia Department of Corrections and communities across Northwest Georgia are mourning the unexpected death of Hays State Prison Warden Joshua Jones, who passed away on July 4, 2026, at the age of 39.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says a major gang operation tied to Hays State Prison in Chattooga County has been shut down following the convictions of 16 members of the 1-8 Trey Gangster Bloods. The case stems from a large-scale investigation into violent crime, drug trafficking, and gang recruitment allegedly directed both inside and outside Georgia prisons.