Beland, Ryan

Tenure Summary

Ryan Beland's career in the Georgia Department of Corrections began in 2011 as a correctional officer at the Charles D. Hudson Transitional Center, moving through counselor and behavioral-health counselor positions — including at the Atlanta Transitional Center in 2020 — before entering facility leadership as a Correctional Assistant Superintendent in 2021 and at the Helms Facility in 2022. He served as Superintendent at the Helms Facility from July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024, held the Correctional Superintendent role at Rutledge State Prison from January 1 to September 30, 2024, then served at Rutledge as Special Assistant to the Warden from October 1, 2024, as Warden 1 from January 1, 2025, and as Warden from April 1, 2025 until June 15, 2026. Since June 16, 2026 he has held the Warden role at Johnson State Prison.

Per GPS's death registry, 13 deaths are attributed to his facility-leadership tenures: 9 at Rutledge State Prison, 3 at the Helms Facility, and 1 at Johnson State Prison. The registry lists no lawsuit naming Beland as a defendant.

What happened on their watch

Helms Facility — Superintendent, July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024 (Correctional Assistant Superintendent there in 2022; a separate position record lists Correctional Superintendent at Helms on November 22, 2023). Three deaths are attributed to this tenure, all in 2023 and all recorded as Natural/Medical. Frank Eugene Huffman died April 23, 2023, at the Helms Facility; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical and his age as 66. Robert Lee Hines died May 17, 2023, at the Helms Facility; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical and his age as 63. James Michael Stafford died July 20, 2023, at the Helms Facility; the registry lists the cause as Natural/Medical and his age as 59.

Rutledge State Prison — Correctional Superintendent, January 1 to September 30, 2024; Warden 1, January 1 to March 31, 2025; Warden, April 1, 2025 to June 15, 2026 (Special Assistant to the Warden from October 1, 2024). Nine deaths are attributed to his Rutledge tenures. Leroy House died January 3, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison, age 68; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending, meaning GPS does not yet know it. Anthony Antonio Hand died January 28, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison, age 52, cause Unknown/Pending. Venteris Leon Hobson died July 7, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Homicide and his age as 58, and a coroner told a TV station he was found dead in his cell after a fight with his cellmate. Tony Jeromy Reddish died September 28, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison, age 45, cause Unknown/Pending. William Edward Houston died April 10, 2025, at Rutledge State Prison, age 75, cause Unknown/Pending. Alan Thomas Bryant died June 1, 2025, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists Natural/Medical and age 46. Brandon Keith Bolden died June 15, 2025, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists Homicide and age 37. Jonathan Lloyd Myers died May 3, 2026, at Rutledge State Prison, age 38, cause Unknown/Pending. Alterek Mance Dockery died June 14, 2026, at Rutledge State Prison, age 49, cause Unknown/Pending.

Two January 21, 2025 reports in GPS's records are tied to Rutledge while Beland held the Warden 1 role. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Curtis Mincey's sister alleged in a lawsuit that he suffered from a mental illness but did not receive appropriate medical or psychological assistance. The same publication reported that Sergeant Erika Shonquandria Hall allegedly admitted to providing prisoners with cellphones, chargers, tobacco and food in exchange for money on at least six occasions, in connection with the contraband operation the AJC described as Operation Skyhawk. A settlement recorded by the Georgia Department of Administrative Services Risk Management ledger, tied to Rutledge and a 2024 incident, shows a $20,000 state liability payout involving Amber Brejae Walker (June 19, 2024).

Johnson State Prison — Warden from June 16, 2026. One death is attributed to this tenure. Ernest Perez died June 23, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Homicide and his age as 61. A social media report dated June 24, 2026 indicated a death at Johnson State Prison, and possibly at Valdosta State Prison, with paramedics responding to remove an individual; the individual's status and identity were unknown. A witness claim reported July 20, 2026 by the Tyler C. Ryals YouTube channel describes a former staff member's account of a dangerously understaffed spring 2024 shift at Johnson where a use-of-force incident went unreported, and an incarcerated person's allegation of being restrained and tortured. On July 21, 2026 the Department held a ribbon-cutting for a new 20-bed Medical Intensive Infirmary at Johnson, part of a modular housing program that added 524 beds.

Litigation

• Lawsuit over Curtis Mincey's death and alleged medical/psychological neglect — filed January 21, 2025, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Mincey's sister alleged he suffered from a mental illness and did not receive appropriate medical or psychological assistance prior to his death. The record does not name Beland as a defendant, and does not state a court or disposition.

Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — report on the Curtis Mincey lawsuit allegation and the Operation Skyhawk contraband allegation naming Sergeant Erika Shonquandria Hall, both dated January 21, 2025, during Beland's Warden 1 tenure at Rutledge State Prison
• GPS death registry — 13 deaths during leadership tenures: 9 at Rutledge State Prison, 3 at the Helms Facility, 1 at Johnson State Prison
• Georgia Department of Administrative Services Risk Management settlement ledger (Open Records) — $20,000 payout, Rutledge State Prison, 2024 incident, Amber Brejae Walker
• Tyler C. Ryals (YouTube channel) — witness claim dated July 20, 2026 regarding Johnson State Prison
• GPS case submission record dated June 24, 2026 — social media report of a death at Johnson State Prison

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Oct 11, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.