Posts Tagged ‘Interim Director’

ADOC Interim Director Chuck Ryan: Culpable in the Deaths of Officer Brent Lumley & Deputy Warden Ron Odom?

Friday, February 13th, 2009

 

 

Folks, I am going to try to recall and tell this story in brief.  My spelling may not be quite right; feel free to advise me of any errors.  But, this story’s got to be told.

 

Officer Brent Lumley’s death appears to have involved decisions by Charles Ryan.  I’ll let you, the reader, decide whether or not Charles Ryan might have been negligent.

 

Here is a link to the HTML version of the Arizona Supreme Court record of the conviction of Leroy D. Cropper:

 

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:pjo5BBguhoQJ:www.supreme.state.az.us/opin/pdf2003/cr_00_0544_ap.pdf+lumley+ADOC&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

 

This is the section to which I call your attention:

 

¶4

Cropper needed to find a way out of his cell. An inmate

is able to leave a locked cell if a fellow inmate “spins the lock”

to his cell door. This lock picking procedure, performed manually

on the cell door lock from outside the cell, bypasses the control

room’s electronic lock command.

 

However, it does not describe exactly how Cropper’s lock was spun.  But the reported written record rarely tells the truth:

 

An inmate could do it himself from inside of his cell rigging it to unlock at the pull of a string!

 

Deputy Warden Ron Odom at Perryville’s San Juan Unit became so distraught over the loss of one of his beloved officer’s that he suffered a massive heart attack shortly after the murder and passed away.  Ron Odom was loved by all who worked with him at San Juan.  Odom ran a tight ship based upon “mutual inclusivity.”  Some described it as “family.” 

 

There was rumor of a waiting list of 400 officers who wanted to work for Mr. Odom because he took such good care of his employees.  It was unheard of in ADOC and nothing like it exists today.  ADOC administrators could learn from the magnificent model Mr. Ron Odom provided.

 

Why did Ron have a heart attack?  The stress was too much for him.  Ron knew Lumley’s death could have & should have been prevented.  Who was the culprit?  And how?

 

Over the course of a year, DW Odom wrote ADOC Central Office requesting repairs to the cell locks in his unit due to his concern for the safety of his officers.  Every three (3) months like clockwork, he’d receive a denial of his request for new locks [urgent security matters] because ADOC didn’t have the money.

 

Who wrote the letters?  Who signed those denials?

 

Chuck Ryan!

 

According to my informant, Charles Ryan signed off on at least three (3) letters denying DW Odom’s request for locks to protect his officers!

 

Why?

 

Because ADOC didn’t have the money! 

 

Nevertheless, right after Lumley’s murder, which could have been prevented by installing locks that could not be “turned,” ADOC found even more money and installed secure locks & new doors at almost double the original estimate!

 

AND

 

At the cost of Officer Brent Lumley’s life!

 

 

 

Correction ADOC Interim Director Chuck Ryan: Advice for Governor Jan Brewer

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

 

Correcting the record per the disclosures posted by Iris on:

 

http://sonoranalliance.com/?p=2957#comment-102524

 

There is an error regarding Mr. Ryan and this is the only possible error of all that was posted.  In other words, all of it is true with the possible exception of the one statement that Mr. Ryan had been forced out of ADOC or ADC as the current web page under construction calls the Arizona Department of Corrections. 

 

I call ADOC or ADC something else, as one may see from the categories on my blog.  And the rest of The Valley shall soon refer to ADOC as the Department of “Corruption.

 

During my interview I mentioned it had been reported to me one of the superiors in ADOC had been “forced to leave ADOC upon threat of death;” however, my ability to recall names is somewhat impaired. 

 

I do not recall the name of the man who was forced to leave “due to his lack of support for Governor Napolitano” and walk off from ADOC and his ASRS retirement.  Perhaps it was Terry Stewart.

 

However, I recall the name and attributes quite well of the officer who confided those things in me.  It was given somewhat in confidence and accompanied by emotional frustration and disgust at how corrupt ADOC was and remains.

 

Nonetheless, I can tell you that Mr. Ryan has been the “Interim Director” of ADOC in the past, perhaps even many times.  Moreover, there is one hallmark, one characteristic that is unforgettable about Chuck Ryan:

 

Chuck Ryan was not well liked by the rank & file. 

 

In fact, to say that Mr. Ryan was “hated” would not be too strong.

 

Allow me to paraphrase a lifetime ADOC employee who knew Chuck Ryan intimately: 

 

‘Chuck Ryan was an asshole.  He was born an asshole and he’s always going to be an asshole.  He’s a short man.  He has “little man syndrome” (and “tan hair”).  He’s always going to be an asshole.  Everyone hates him!

 

Chuck Ryan has been disliked for years by the rank & file of ADOC security officers, administrative support & health services alike.

 

My advice to Governor Jan Brewer:

 

DO NOT CONSIDER CHUCK RYAN FOR DIRECTOR OF ADOC!

 

Unless the Governor wants to send a message to the hard working men & women at ADOC that the Governor doesn’t give a hoot for the men & women who work hard at ADOC!