Teen Mom star Ryan Edwards' prison branded 'most dangerous' after stabbings, drug overdoses and neglect claims

TEEN Mom star Ryan Edwards’ prison has been branded the most dangerous after a series of stabbings, drug overdoses and medical neglect claims.

Ryan, 35, is currently serving an 11-month, 29-day sentence at Silverdale Detention Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee after arrests for harassment, drug possession and more crimes. 

The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal inmates have sued the prison in recent years, as The Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office called the facility the “most dangerous place to be.”

'DANGEROUS' PRISON

In a lawsuit obtained by The U.S. Sun, the family of a deceased inmate sued Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, which owns and operates Silverdale, in February 2023 after he allegedly died “while in the custody of and due to the deliberate indifference of Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.”

The lawsuit claimed: “Silverdale has long had the reputation of being a poorly run and dangerous jail. Inmates have been attacked and injured by other inmates armed with makeshift weapons, including stabbings with ‘shanks,’ or jail knives. 

“Silverdale inmates also have died due to medical neglect and maltreatment by staff, prompting numerous lawsuits.”

The lawsuit claimed the inmate died in October 2022 at a nearby hospital. 

He had been incarcerated since March 2022 and was “in good health when he first entered the facility.” 

When he was admitted to the hospital, he “lost nearly sixty pounds.”

The lawsuit continued: “[The inmate's] cellmate stated that prior to his being taken to [the hospital], he had not eaten nor drank anything for a week. [The cellmate] claims he saw him black out three times, but Silverdale officials were unwilling to offer him any assistance. 

“[The cellmate] was so afraid that he would have to watch him die that he attempted to fake being sick to get the nurses’ attention. He died of multiple infections induced by severe malnutrition.

“A nurse told the family that it was possible [the inmate] would have had a different outcome had he been admitted to the hospital sooner and that she understood how frustrating that must be.”

'73 STAB WOUNDS'

The lawsuit then mentions a string of alleged stabbings that took place at the facility. 

The complaint claims: “On October 5, 2020, five Silverdale inmates were charged with attempted first-degree murder arising from an attack on a fellow prisoner that lasted for one to two hours and left the victim with 73 stab wounds.”

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s answer to the claim read, per court papers, that the attack on the inmate is “admitted.”

However, the office “can neither admit nor deny the duration of the attack, nor the number (or severity) of the stab wounds."

The office also claimed, "All allegations of wrongdoing by these Defendants are denied.”

The complaint from the family of the late inmate continued: “On April 23, 2021, multiple Silverdale inmates were stabbed numerous times by fellow inmates wearing towels over their faces when officers placed them in a new cell despite the victims warning the officers that they would be attacked.”

The Hamilton County Sheriff responded to this claim: “Paragraph 19 of the Complaint is admitted upon information and belief to the extent that multiple inmates were involved in an altercation that resulted in several stabbings. 

“It is denied that corrections deputies were warned, at a minimum, of any specific threat to any inmate by any inmate. All allegations of wrongdoing by these Defendants are denied.”

The complaint continued: “On September 5, 2021, a Silverdale inmate was stabbed nine times, including once in the face, when officers failed to lock his cell door and ignored the victim’s attempts to alert them to the mistake.”

The Hamilton County Sheriff “denied” the paragraph and said, “All allegations of wrongdoing by these defendants are denied.”

The lawsuit also alleged: “In March of 2022, a male Silverdale inmate was raped so savagely that he had to be released to a mental health facility with the likelihood of surgery necessary to repair the injuries incurred during the rape. The sentence he was serving was suspended.”

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded: “Paragraph 22 of the Complaint is admitted to the extent that an inmate was raped in March of 2022. No response can be made as to medical treatment relative to the restrictions of HIPAA and PREA.

 “In further response, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office initiated a criminal investigation that resulted in charges being brought, which are still pending in Hamilton County Criminal Court. All allegations of wrongdoing by these Defendants are denied."

The complaint also mentioned drug use, which is especially concerning for Ryan because Judge Gary Starnes sentenced him to prison over rehab, claiming his addiction was “too strong” after a recent failed attempt at treatment. 

The lawsuit claimed: “In April of 2022, an inmate died of a drug overdose at Silverdale, where drugs are considered to be widely available due to neglect by officials.”

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office denied the claim in their response.

As for living conditions, the lawsuit alleged: “In May of 2022, Silverdale failed a health inspection. Inspectors found rat droppings in the food storage area, no sanitizer present in washing buckets, and walls, floors, and ceilings that were dirty and in poor condition.”

The family is requesting damages to be determined at trial. 

In Hamilton County Sheriff’s also claimed in their response to the lawsuit: “It is denied that any inmate violence is due to any indifference of the Sheriff, Hamilton County, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, or any deputy. It is denied that inmates have died due to any medical neglect or maltreatment by Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office employees.”

In regard to the late inmate, the response read: “Without the aid of discovery, these Defendants can neither admit nor deny the remaining allegations contained in Paragraph 5 of the Complaint, and strict proof is demanded.

"All allegations of wrongdoing by these Defendants are denied.” 

The case remains ongoing. 

ANOTHER INMATE DEATH

In a second lawsuit filed in March 2023, a mother sued on behalf of her late son.

The complaint obtained by The U.S. Sun alleged: “[The inmate] died on May 26th, 2022, at a nearby hospital, only four months after he first entered Silverdale as a healthy twenty-three-year-old man.

"[The inmate's] death was entirely preventable. When he arrived at Silverdale in early February of 2022, he was HIV-positive and suffered from asthma, but like the one million other Americans with HIV, modern medicine had allowed him to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life. 

“Silverdale took all of that away from him. For two months, officials at Silverdale refused to give him his life-saving medicine. They refused to give him an inhaler to treat his asthma. As the weeks wore on, he grew increasingly weak, eventually requiring the use of a wheelchair.

"He pleaded for attention from the nursing staff but was met with disdain and complaints about how overworked the nurses felt. His fellow inmates grew increasingly worried about him and even attempted to stage a fight, throwing his wheelchair, just to get the nurses’ attention." 

The complaint continued to allege: “He developed a cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath. By the time he was finally brought to [the hospital] on March 27, 2022, his HIV had rapidly progressed and caused him to develop pneumonia and sepsis.

"His prognosis was already grim, but he told doctors that he wanted to live. He fought hard for his life for two agonizing months until he finally succumbed to his illness.

“Thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, HIV is no longer a death sentence. This should always be the case, regardless of whether one is incarcerated. Plaintiff hopes and prays that her son’s story will bring a stop to the needless and preventable deaths occurring due to medical neglect committed by the officials at Silverdale.”

The family is requesting damages in an amount to be determined at trial. 

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has not yet responded to the lawsuit, which remains ongoing.

ALLEGED OFFICER VIOLENCE

In a July 2021 lawsuit obtained by The U.S. Sun, another inmate sued the facility and accused guards of violence. 

The Amended Complaint filed in February 2022 claimed of the June 2021 incident: “While I was in handcuffs, [two officers] threw me against the wall… then pulled me off the wall and [one] punched me in the face and [the other] punched me in the head.

"They both ran my head into the metal steel door in G2 and knocked me unconscious. 

“Then they roughed me up un G-Unit Center Core, and pushed me up against the iron cage face first in G3. [They] then threw me in the cage against the wall. Then I hit the floor bleeding and in pain, bruised bad and injured severely. 

“Then I was pushed in [the] cell and landed on the floor on my face and it knocked the wind out of me from the impact of the fall... My wrists were bleeding from the tightness of the handcuffs and my circulation was cut off.”

He claimed he is “still suffering” from a “head concussion, neck and back pain, and a jaw injury.”

He claimed of a third officer: “[He] put his knee in my back with his other knee on the back of my neck with all of his weight down on me, and he uncuffed me and tazed me. Then he turned me over on my back, by pushing me over with his feet. 

“He had a yellow gun in my face with a green light beam on it and was threatening me.”

The inmate then named two nurses who he claimed told him to “get up and quit crying like a baby."

The complaint continued to allege: “They all left. I was neglected and left on the floor in the same spot for three days… And I wasn’t getting fed.”

He claimed two other nurses found him and gave him “proper medical attention.”

The inmate is suing for $15million. 

Three of the officers mentioned in the lawsuit “denied” the abuse claims in their answer to the second amended complaint. 

Both of the nurses mentioned also denied the allegations.

The case remains ongoing.

'TREATED WORSE THAN VIOLENT CRIMINALS'

In June 2021, an inmate sued the prison, claiming they were offered “no visitation or recreational time."

The lawsuit read: “I understand because of Covid there is no visitation, but I do know that most county jails in the United States that have visitation on kiosks and tablets. 

“I have been locked up for almost six years and I have never been treated this bad. I got treated worse than most violent criminals, at least they get one hour of outside recreational time.”

The case was dismissed because no filing fee was paid.

BRUTAL BEATING

Back in November 2019, an inmate sued the detention center over an October 2019 incident. 

The lawsuit read: “Two inmates were able to escape from their cell and attack me and cause me bodily injury.

"Due to my being restrained, I was unable to defend myself. Therefore I was left to the mercy of my assailants. The officer failed to do anything to protect me. They were negligent in their duties.”

The lawsuit was dismissed because the inmate “failed to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.”

'MOST DANGEROUS PLACE

In April 2022, The Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release: “Right now, it appears that Silverdale is one of the most dangerous places to be in our county, and that is unacceptable.

“Individuals at Silverdale have the right to be protected and that right should be taken very seriously by every member of our justice system. 

“Therefore, I will formally request that the Department of Justice investigate the conditions and operation of Silverdale.”

The Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond, who is now retired, responded at the time: “I'm also responsible, not only for the protection of my officers and staff but for the citizens that live in this community. I would much rather have those eleven-hundred people locked up on that 25 acres and it be the most dangerous acreage in this city than I would have them running through your neighborhood.”

He claimed the request for the DOJ to investigate is “offensive.”

RYAN'S LEGAL TROUBLE

Ryan has been at Silverdale since his April 7 arrest for possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence.

Judge Gary Starnes said at the sentencing hearing: “Rehab won't be good because he won't do it.

"I'm going to revoke probation for 11 months and 29 days in custody. At some point, I may send you to rehab. You won't do it now. It's because the drug addiction is so strong. You can't do it. You have to grow up and want to save yourself.

"I'm going to do what I can to save you. If you come across someone at drugs at Silverdale, stay away from them."

Ryan was arrested for harassment, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, and an order of protection violation on February 10 at his place of work. 

He was then arrested for aggravated stalking and violating a protection order on March 1 after authorities issued two warrants for his arrest on February 23. 

Ryan pleaded guilty to the harassment charge at a court hearing in March, The Ashley's Reality Roundup reported.

He was ordered to complete rehab treatment and have no contact with the victim.

A judge also ordered Ryan to wear a GPS monitor and refrain from posting about Mackenzie on social media.

He was put on probation for 11 months and 29 days.

The possession of drug paraphernalia, stalking, and order of protection violation charges were dismissed.

As for his possession of a controlled substance, he was sentenced to rehab with the option of the time being reduced for good behavior after six months.

Ryan left rehab after just two weeks and was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and DUI charges on April 7. 

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.