Governor Doug Ducey's office says the number 2 official in the Arizona Department of Corrections will lead the state prison system while the governor searches for a permanent replacement for outgoing Director Charles Ryan—who is retiring Friday.
Gilbert Davidson, the governor's chief operating officer, told Corrections Department employees Deputy Director Joe Profiri will run the agency. Ducey has said he will do a national search for a permanent leader of the troubled agency.
Ryan announced his retirement last month shortly before former state Supreme Court justices issued a report finding he was "surprisingly uninformed" for too long about the poor functioning of locks in prisons and the seriousness of the danger.
