The interim secretary of the
Department of Corrections has become a permanent
prison employee. And the second in command of
Florida's prison system is temporarily taking
over as warden at the state's largest prison for
women.
James McDonough, who took over the department on
an interim basis in February when former
Secretary James Crosby was ordered to resign,
was named secretary by Gov. Jeb Bush on
Thursday. McDonough said losing the interim part
of his title was no big deal.
"I had long since ignored it," McDonough said.
"I guess this announcement must be a signal that
I'm doing OK."
Since his appointment in February after serving
seven years as the state's drug czar, McDonough,
59, reigned in department leaders - including
firing nine top officials on the same day -
implemented a code of conduct for all employees
and instituted random drug tests for most
Donough said.
"The indices I was receiving was that there were
problems there," McDonough said.
In addition to receiving nonspecific, anonymous
information, McDonough said there were specific
red flags.
"When I looked at the mental health data coming
from Lowell, it seemed out of sync with the rest
of the prison system, and when I looked at
psychotropic drugs being prescribed, they were
out of sync with the rest of the system,"
McDonough said. "Those are some of the indices
telling me it was time to make a move."
Another indicator of a potential problem at
Lowell is the ongoing internal investigation
into the behavior of Assistant Warden John
Curtis. He was accused earlier this month of
having a relationship with a female inmate at
Lowell, an allegation now under investigation by
the prison's inspector general.
Curtis, 42, began his career as a correctional
officer at Baker Correctional Institution in
October 1985. He was assigned to Lowell in
November 2005. After the allegation was made
earlier this month, Curtis was transferred to
the Region 3 office but has not reported for
work there. Prison officials said Thursday that
Curtis has been using his accumulated leave
time. He could not be reached for comment.
"He was suspended from any contact with
inmates," McDonough said. "I like to move on
these situations right away so this
investigation should be completed pretty quick."
The current warden at Lowell, Carol Starling, is
being transferred to Hendry Correctional
Institution in Immokalee to fill the vacant
warden's job there.
In appointing Bedard to Lowell, McDonough told
her that she is expected to return to her job as
deputy secretary but that while she is working
at Lowell, she is expected to report through the
same chain of command as all other wardens.
Also, McDonough told Bedard she should make
changes at Lowell that can be used in other
prisons around the state and possibly around the
nation.
"I have directed her to take a holistic view to
the transition of women into and out of the
system," he said. "Forty percent of the women in
prison in Florida are at Lowell. We don't want
them to be lifers on the installment plan so we
have developed and continue to develop concepts
to reduce recidivism."
McDonough said the changes need to begin when
women enter prison with a longer, more detailed
interview to try to figure out what they will
need to succeed in the free world after serving
their sentences.
"We need to help these women develop as human
beings to prepare them for eventual release,"
McDonough said. "Our efforts have to be bigger
and more exhaustive."
As examples, McDonough said prisons need to help
inmates learn how to get a state identification
card or drivers license, where to go for medical
help, learn a skill, "anything we can do to give
them a better chance at being a productive human
being."
Lowell Correctional Institution, an 803-bed,
maximum-security prison, is Florida's oldest and
largest prison for women and includes three work
camps. Lowell Annex, a 1,181-bed work camp, and
Forest Hills Work Camp, a 153-bed facility, are
both in Marion County. Levy Forestry Camp
outside Bronson in Levy County has 252 beds. The
combined prison and work camps employ more than
700 people, mostly correctional officers.
The main Lowell prison is 50 years old and still
serves as the state's primary reception center
for women entering prison as well as the prison
for female youthful offenders and pregnant
inmates.
The temporary assignment comes a year after
Bedard was hired by former prison secretary
Crosby.
Before moving to Florida in 1989, Bedard worked
five years as director of human services for the
Rockingham County Department of Corrections in
New Hampshire. She moved to Florida and earned a
doctorate in social work at Florida State
University in 1998. In addition to being a
faculty member at the School of Criminology and
Criminal Justice at Florida State, Bedard served
a two-year term on the Florida Privatization
Commission and has been a consultant to
Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice.
McDonough said he had no qualms about assigning
Bedard as a warden in a prison as big as Lowell
even though she has not previously served as a
warden.
"I am looking for leadership with a capital L,"
McDonough said. "I didn't have any day-to-day
experience running a corrections department six
months ago, but I do now."
Instead of hands-on experience, McDonough said
he considered Bedard's combination of work and
education and decided that she has all the
skills needed to make significant changes.
Bedard said there is no set time for her to
return to Tallahassee. In her absence, her
day-to-day work will be handled by Tina Hayes,
who had been the department's director for
Research and Support Services.
"I
volunteered for this because it is a chance to
try some ideas I think will work," Bedard said.
"Females are the fastest-growing population in
prisons in the country right now. We need to try
different approaches, different things, to
reduce recidivism."
Karen Voyles can be reached at 486-5058 or
voylesk@ gvillesun.com
