Corrections chief bucks the system

BY Jim Ash
FLORIDA TODAY - October 8, 2006

James McDonough ·  Born: Aug. 4, 1946 ·  Education: Graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was the West Point boxing champion in 1968 and 1969. ·  Civilian career: 1999-2006, director of Florida's Office of Drug Control Policy; 1996-99, director of strategy, Office of National Drug Control Policy. ·  Military career: Platoon leader in Vietnam through brigade senior military assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. He earned three Bronze Stars, one for valor, and a Purple Heart. ·  Other: He has written more than 50 professional articles and published three books, including "The Defense of Hill 781," "The Limits of Glory," and "Platoon Leader," which was made into a movie. -- Florida Departmentof Corrections McDonough appointed after series of incidents Key events in the recent history of the Florida Department of Corrections, compiled from department records and published accounts: ·  January 2003: Newly re-elected Gov. Jeb Bush appoints James Crosby, a veteran corrections officer, prison warden and ardent political supporter, as Secretary of the Department of Corrections. Crosby's salary increases from $94,000 as a regional director to $124,000 as secretary. ·  November 2004: Crosby and top lieutenant Allen Clark begin secretly sharing between $1,000 and $12,000 a month in illegal kickbacks from a prison contract that privatized prison canteen management for the state. Crosby acknowledged the crime as part of a federal plea agreement. ·  April 1, 2005: Clark arrested with three other DOC employees after a fight breaks out at a softball banquet in Tallahassee. ·  Aug. 30, 2005: Clark resigns from regional director post after his name surfaces in connection with FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement probes. ·  October 2005: Mark Guerra, a former minor league baseball player, acknowledges taking a no-show job at a prison library so he could play softball on a department team. He agrees to repay the state $1,400 and complete 50 hours of community service. Also in October, Capt. Keith Dawson, an officer at New Rivers Correction Institution, is fired after attending a party at Florida State Prison where a woman was sexually assaulted. He dies of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. ·  Oct. 11, 2005: FDLE agents seize vehicles and utility trailers belonging to DOC administrators as part of an investigation into the alleged misuse of state property and prison labor. ·  January 2006: News breaks about a prison steroid ring after four officers are charged with misdemeanor possession of steroids. ·  Jan. 1, 2006: Tennessee-based Prison Health Services begins administering a nearly $800 million, 10-year DOC contract to treat 17,000 prisoners in Region 1, which includes 13 institutions and a work camp in South Florida. PHS underbid the closest competitor by tens of millions of dollars. ·  Jan. 31: A DOC officer who manages a prison recycling center, Bryan Griffis, pleads guilty to embezzling from the center. ·  Feb. 10: Bush demands and receives Crosby's resignation and appoints Jim McDonough, as interim secretary. ·  March 3: McDonough fires five DOC employees for their role in a fight at a banquet. ·  March 14: FDLE report mentions that Crosby tried to interfere with the corruption investigation by threatening to fire the son of the former FDLE chief. ·  March 15: McDonough fires nine department administrators, including two regional directors, four wardens and three assistant wardens. The next day, he fires the department's top administrator in charge of security. ·  June 8: McDonough announces appointments of new chief of staff and inspector general. ·  August 2006: PHS withdraws from contract, saying it underestimated the cost of caring for prisoners requiring hospitalization. ·  September 2006: DOC invites PHS to resubmit a bid and compete with a handful of other prison health providers for the District 1 contract. ·  October 2006: Crosby set for sentencing on federal corruption charges in Jacksonville. -- Compiled by Jim Ash

TALLAHASSEE - Eight months into his clean-up of the

 nation's third-largest prison system, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Jim McDonough has battled corrupt bureaucrats, angry labor unions and skeptical lawmakers.

His life has even been threatened.

In typical ramrod fashion, the former West Point graduate and Army commander is counting his successes and leaving the second-guessing to his critics.

"Morale has gone up, integrity has gone up, professionalism has gone up. Most people are very proud of that," McDonough said.

McDonough was ordered by Gov. Jeb Bush to clean up the scandal-weary department with 27,000 employees and 88,000 inmates in February.

McDonough fired administrators, wardens and middle managers, and ordered random drug testing for the entire department.

The Florida Police Benevolent Association eventually went along with the drug testing, but the union for law enforcement and corrections officers is still wary about McDonough's leadership style.

"I think it would be helpful if he realized this is not the military," PBA executive director David Murrell said.

The department conducted 955 random drugs tests in July and August. Only one positive test was confirmed, according to a DOC spokeswoman. September results are not complete.

Bucking a culture where prisons spawn company towns and corrections jobs are handed down through generations carries its special risk. Not long after he took the job, McDonough was warned not to visit certain institutions.

"It was apparent that you had elements of gangsterism come into play here," McDonough said. "When the information was passed to me that there were certain places that I better not go, that's where I went. I'm not a man to be trifled with."

Developing roadmap

One of the results was a major shakeup in top administration in the notorious "Iron Triangle" of North Florida maximum-security lockups.

A meeting in Lakeland earlier this year with 400 top prison administrators led to a flood of anonymous e-mails and letters. Some whistleblowers told McDonough they feared for their lives, families or careers by coming forward. The e-mails streamed in, sometimes 200 a day.

McDonough combed through them and separated the credible from the improbable. He said he used them as a roadmap to direct him to the places that needed the most reform.

As his disgraced predecessor, James Crosby, faces sentencing later this month on federal corruption charges, McDonough is about to enter the next controversial phase of reform.

Next week, a handful of companies will submit their bids for an $800 million contract to provide health care to 17,000 inmates in 13 South Florida correctional facilities.

Brevard Correctional Institute at Sharpes is part of the state system. The facility was established in 1976 and houses more than 1,000 inmates.

New bids

Tennessee-based Prison Health Services withdrew last month after completing just nine months of the original 10-year contract.

After underbidding its closest competitor by tens of millions of dollars, PHS said it had dramatically underestimated the number of inmates who would require hospitalization.

McDonough ordered a new round of bids, but allowed PHS to vie for the job again.

Now McDonough is being pressured by lawmakers to fine PHS for alleged contract violations.

Rep. Mitch Needelman, R-Melbourne, was on the spending subcommittee that oversees the department and blames the DOC, before McDonough's tenure, for not providing enough oversight of the costs.

"The root of the problem probably comes from DOC not keeping track of the numbers. Is it on the right track now? We'll see." Needelman said.

PHS spokeswoman Martha Harbin is expecting fines, something she says the company considers the cost of doing business with the state on such a large scale.

McDonough, the former state drug czar and the longest-serving member of Bush's administration, steadfastly defends the virtues of privatization. Regardless of the controversy, outsourcing prison health care in South Florida is paying off, McDonough said.

"We can conclude that the privatization was a benefit for the taxpayer," McDonough said. "If you sort of total up the costs that occurred, it's substantial, it's more than $20 million."

McDonough said he remains an optimist.

"You cannot be indifferent to the bad things that can happen, pretend that they don't exist" McDonough said. "But you have to understand the importance of life, the beauty of it, and the ability of just a few people to do much good. I'm looking for leaders of character, and I think in this department, I'm doing very well."

Contact Ash at 850-671-6567 or jash@tallahassee.com.