New Warden at Ware State Prison

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Roy Odum Promoted

FORSYTH, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Timothy C. Ward announced the promotion of Roy Odum to Warden at Ware State Prison (SP), effective June 16, 2021. As Warden, Odum will be responsible for overseeing approximately 365 staff members and 1,530 close-security male offenders at the facility.

“Odum is a dedicated employee who has excelled in each position he has held within the department,” said Commissioner Timothy C. Ward. “I am confident that he will continue to uphold the GDC mission in his new position at Ware SP.”

Odum began his career with GDC in 2007 as a Correctional Officer at Smith State Prison. During his tenure at Smith SP, he served on the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) and was promoted to Sergeant.  In 2011, Odum was promoted to Lieutenant at Rogers State Prison where he served as Administrative Lieutenant, ACA Field Compliance Specialist, and PREA Investigator. In 2017, Odum was promoted to Major at Georgia State Prison and in 2018, he was promoted to the Tier II Unit Manager.  In 2018, he was promoted to Deputy Warden of Security at Ware State Prison, where he currently serves.

Odum is currently pursuing his degree in Criminal Justice.  He has completed the following departmental training: Basic Correctional Officer Training, Basic Management Training, Sergeants Academy, CERT Basic Training, Supervision II and III, and Warden’s Pre-Command.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 47,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 9,000 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.