Gov. Ducey appoints new Arizona Department of Corrections head

PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday appointed David Shinn as the new director of the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Shinn replaces Charles Ryan, who announced his retirement in August while under fire for his handling of state prison issues.

Shinn has served more than 30 years in law enforcement and is currently the assistant director of the FBI’s program review division in Washington, D.C., according to a press release.

“Our goal was to identify a leader with extensive experience, a record of solving problems, and a passion for public service,” the governor said on Twitter.

Please join me in welcoming our new director of the Department of Corrections, David Shinn! Having served over 30 years in law enforcement leadership positions, David brings a depth of experience to lead from day one at Arizona’s largest state agency. @AZCorrections

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) October 7, 2019

“David is that leader. I’m confident in the job he will do prioritizing security & continuing to make corrections truly about corrections.”

Ryan’s last day on the job was Sept. 13.

He faced calls to step down earlier this year over how he addressed broken locks on cells at the Lewis Prison in Buckeye.

There were several assaults of inmates and correctional officers because of the lock failures.

Ryan’s department had also been cited for failing to improve health care for inmates as was promised in a 2014 lawsuit.

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