PHOENIX — The director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry announced Friday he will retire on Jan. 4.
David Shinn has been the DOC's director since late 2019 when he was appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey.
Prior to his position, Shinn was the assistant director for the Program Review Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C.
He replaced Charles Ryan, who retired amid ongoing controversies.
In November 2021, Shinn defended his department's actions in a federal court as part of a trial about the quality of healthcare provided to inmates.
The lawsuit said the DOC did not provide medical, mental and dental healthcare fast enough, and in some cases, not at all, to inmates in their care.
The case dated back longer than Shinn had been director of the state's prison system.
While the case had reached a settlement, a judge found ADCRR in contempt of court twice for not meeting benchmarks for standards of care laid out in the agreement. In total the state has been fined $2.5 million for not meeting those benchmarks.
RELATED: Arizona's prisons director claims inmates have faster access to healthcare than private citizens
A release from the DOC said, "Shinn has spent nearly 36 consecutive years of his professional career dedicated to public safety and public service."
>> This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available
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