Woman Indicted In Alleged Hays State Prison Drug-Smuggling Case

A woman arrested last December following an investigation into an alleged drug-smuggling operation at Hays State Prison has now been indicted by a Chattooga County grand jury on multiple felony drug charges.

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New Modular Housing Units Added At Hays State Prison

New modular housing units are now in place at Hays State Prison in Chattooga County, part of a Georgia Department of Corrections project designed to provide additional prison beds while maintenance and infrastructure improvements are carried out at state facilities.

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Drone Carrying Drugs And Cell Phones Crashes On Chattooga County Property

A large drone carrying suspected drugs, cell phones and other items crashed on Chattooga County property in Summerville, adding to concerns about the ongoing problem of contraband being smuggled into Georgia prisons.

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Former Hays State Prison Officer Faces New Federal Drug And Gun Charges

A former corrections officer who previously served time in federal prison for smuggling methamphetamine into Hays State Prison in Trion is facing new federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

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Gabriel Illa Named New Warden At Hays State Prison

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.

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Hays State Prison Warden Joshua Jones Dies at 39

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.

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Gang Leader Convicted of Running 1-8 Trey from Behind Bars

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.

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