Wiza, Scott T

Tenure Summary

Scott T. Wiza first appears in Georgia Department of Corrections personnel records in 2015 as a Public Safety Trainer (WL), moving to Public Safety Trainer 1 in 2016 and 2017 and to Public Safety Trainer 2 in 2018. He is listed as a Correctional Assistant Superintendent from 2019 through 2021 and as a Correctional Superintendent in 2022, before taking the Warden role at Rutledge State Prison on July 1, 2022 — a posting the records show him holding until March 31, 2025, with Warden 1 salary entries for 2023 ($90,685.58), 2024 ($98,594.75) and 2025 ($117,743.82). No facility is named in the records for the 2019–2021 assistant superintendent years or the 2022 superintendent year.

Eight deaths are attributed to Wiza's leadership tenure, all of them at Rutledge State Prison, per GPS's death registry. Two are recorded as homicides, one as a suicide, and six as Unknown/Pending. During the same posting, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported a contraband-for-money allegation against a sergeant at the prison and a lawsuit alleging that a prisoner who died received no appropriate medical or psychological assistance. Records show no lawsuit naming Wiza as a defendant.

What happened on their watch

Rutledge State Prison — Warden, July 1, 2022 – March 31, 2025.

Daniel Tyler Nichols died April 23, 2023, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as homicide, and event records state he died from asphyxia due to neck compression. John Irvin Sr Tidd died July 18, 2023, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as suicide. Leonard Leroy Dillard died October 11, 2023, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending. Leroy House died January 3, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending. Anthony Antonio Hand died January 28, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending. Venteris Leon Hobson died July 7, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as homicide, and event records state he died from an inmate-to-inmate assault, with a coroner telling 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; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending. Joe Payne died December 29, 2024, at Rutledge State Prison; the registry lists the cause as Unknown/Pending. Ages on the registry lines range from 26 to 73.

Two intel items dated January 21, 2025 — while Wiza was Warden — are tied to Rutledge. 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 outlet reported an allegation that Sergeant Hall admitted to providing prisoners with cellphones, chargers, tobacco and food in exchange for money on at least six occasions. Both are allegations as reported, not adjudicated findings.

The GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger, obtained through Open Records, lists a $20,000 state liability payout tied to Rutledge State Prison (2024 incident), dated June 19, 2024 and recorded under Amber Brejae Walker.

Nothing in the records attributes deaths to Wiza's 2015–2018 trainer roles, his 2019–2021 assistant superintendent years, or his 2022 superintendent year; those years are documented only by the position entries above.

Sources

• GPS death registry — eight deaths recorded at Rutledge State Prison during Wiza's Warden tenure (2023–2024).
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — lawsuit allegation in the death of Curtis Mincey (reported January 21, 2025); contraband-for-money allegation against Sergeant Hall at Rutledge State Prison (reported January 21, 2025); homicide reporting referenced in GPS event records.
• GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (Open Records) — $20,000 liability payout tied to Rutledge State Prison, 2024 incident.
• Georgia Department of Corrections personnel and salary records — positions and salary years for Wiza, 2015–2025.
• TV station coroner account, as recorded in GPS event records — circumstances of Leon Venteris Hobson's death.

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.