Jones, Joshua

Tenure Summary

Joshua Jones began his GDC career as a correctional officer at Walker State Prison in 2007 and spent the following decade and a half climbing through the ranks — sergeant, corrections officer, lieutenant, unit manager, and deputy warden — before being appointed Warden at Hays State Prison in July 2023, a facility where he had worked in various staff roles since at least 2013. GPS records show Jones has held the facility-lead role at Hays continuously since that appointment, earning $103,210 in 2024 and $108,325 in 2025. During his tenure as Warden, GPS records attribute at least 19 deaths at Hays State Prison across cause categories including homicide, natural/other, and seizure — with at least six deaths classified as violent homicides. Five federal civil rights lawsuits naming Jones as a defendant were filed between 2024 and 2026, all in the Northern District of Georgia, and all remain pending or were recently terminated.

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What Happened on Their Watch

Hays State Prison — Warden (July 2023–present)

Jones assumed the Warden role at Hays State Prison in July 2023. Within his first four months, GPS records attribute three deaths to the facility during his tenure. Ronnie Joe Criswell, 67, and Robert Millan Cook, 57, died in July and August 2023 respectively, both classified under cause category 6 (other/undetermined). On October 19, Randoulf Gutierrez, 42, also died under the same classification. On October 28, 2023, Talore Stihles Blackford, 31, died from multiple stab wounds to the neck, per the AJC Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation.

In 2024, GPS records attribute ten additional deaths at Hays during Jones's tenure. Jeremy Edward Price, 36, died March 2 from stab wounds to the neck and chest, per the AJC investigation. Theron Morrell Hendrix, 31, died April 19 under cause category 6. Freddie Lee Talley III, 31, died May 6 from a stab wound to the chest; per the AJC, the incident report documents four other prisoners and multiple sharpened weapons ranging from 10.5 to 22 inches. Timothy Darmofal, 58, died May 22; Keith Johnson, 57, died August 19; Mackendy Pierrette, 50, died September 13 — all classified under cause category 6. On October 24, Lawrence L. Williams, 30, died; GPS records include an unattributed report alleging he was stabbed multiple times. Thomas Johnson, 82, also died October 24 under cause category 6. Joey Griffin, 54, died December 26 under cause category 6.

In 2025, GPS records attribute seven deaths at Hays during Jones's tenure. Ralph Carter, 39, died March 5; Tommy Joe Strickland, 60, died June 4 — both under cause category 6. Raymont Savion Farley, 36, died June 15, classified as a natural/seizure death per GPS records. James Cannon, 48, was found unresponsive in his cell on October 25; according to Coosa Valley News, foul play was suspected and his cellmate was under investigation. Barcel Roylee Ward, 39, died November 28 under cause category 6. In February 2025, per GPS records, a former Hays guard was sentenced for smuggling methamphetamine and other contraband to inmates over a period exceeding one month. In January 2025, Georgia announced a $600 million statewide prison spending surge, with the first of four "hardened" 126-bed modules under construction at Hays State Prison.

In early 2026, GPS records attribute at least three additional deaths at Hays. Melvin Gay Johnson, 35, died January 27, classified as a homicide (cause category 3). GPS records include reports sourced from Telegram relays alleging Johnson had been beaten for three days, told a counselor he could not safely return to his dorm, was returned anyway, and was then killed in his sleep; his family was allegedly denied a visit due to an administrative error. Corey Anwar DuBose, 47, died March 23 under cause category 6. On April 1, a person identified only as "KG" died at Hays; GPS records, sourced from AI-classified Telegram relay messages, allege KG was killed during an official inspection and that two additional victims sustained neck wounds in the same incident. GPS intel events record that a high-ranking ROLACC Blood set leader was stabbed multiple times in the neck during an official inspection on that date and required CPR.

Separately, the AJC has reported an allegation that Lieutenant Lakeshia Thomas at Hays was recorded arranging to smuggle marijuana for a gang member, and that the GDC has withheld manner-of-death information from mortality reports — the latter allegation made by Tammy Price, per the AJC. GPS records also note a prior 2018 incident in which Hays officer Voltaire Pierre was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for smuggling drugs — including pot, cocaine, and methamphetamine — in noodle soup containers over a four-month period, receiving $7,000 in payment.

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Litigation

• Jackson v. Jones, No. 1:26-cv-00782 (N.D. Ga.), filed February 10, 2026 — pending.
• White v. Jones, No. 1:26-cv-00212 (N.D. Ga.), filed January 14, 2026 — pending.
• White v. Jones, No. 4:26-cv-00017 (N.D. Ga.), filed January 14, 2026 — pending.
• Carr v. WBJ Leadership Committee Inc, No. 1:25-cv-04426 (N.D. Ga.), filed August 7, 2025 — terminated August 28, 2025.
• Rice v. Jones, No. 1:24-cv-04445 (N.D. Ga.), filed October 1, 2024 — terminated April 14, 2025.
• Daker v. Jones, No. 4:24-cv-00173 (N.D. Ga.), filed July 15, 2024 — pending.
• Burton v. Jones, No. 4:23-cv-00111 (S.D. Ga.), filed April 26, 2023 — pending.
• Musson v. Jones, No. 4:22-cv-00124 (S.D. Ga.), filed May 11, 2022 — terminated April 3, 2025.

Note: Several additional cases in the litigation record (e.g., Vaquera v. Sprayberry, Pelka v. Ware County, Laureate Education, Harris v. Purvis, Milo v. Polite, Jackson v. Catanzariti, Stuart, Willis v. GEICO) do not name Jones as a primary defendant or predate his leadership tenure at Hays; their connection to Jones is not established by the available records.

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Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — AJC Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation (deaths of Blackford, Price, Talley); reporting on contraband smuggling at Hays SP; reporting on GDC mortality-report transparency allegations (Tammy Price); reporting on Lt. Lakeshia Thomas smuggling allegation
• Coosa Valley News — reporting on death of James Cannon, October 25, 2025; foul play suspected, cellmate under investigation
• GPS records / Telegram relay reports (AI-classified) — deaths of Melvin Gay Johnson (GPS-DEATH-2026-41465) and "KG" (GPS-260401-FE23E8); multiple stabbing incident reports at Hays SP, April 2026
• CourtListener / Federal court dockets — Jackson v. Jones (1:26-cv-00782); White v. Jones (1:26-cv-00212, 4:26-cv-00017); Rice v. Jones (1:24-cv-04445); Daker v. Jones (4:24-cv-00173); Burton v. Jones (4:23-cv-00111); Musson v. Jones (4:22-cv-00124); Carr v. WBJ Leadership Committee (1:25-cv-04426)
• GPS records (facility intel events) — sentencing of former Hays guard for methamphetamine smuggling (February 2025); sentencing of officer Voltaire Pierre for drug smuggling (2018); Georgia $600 million prison spending announcement and Hays hardened module (January 2025); death of Freddie Lee Talley (incident report detail); death of Jeremy Price (incident report and death certificate)

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 10, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.