Julie Jones Takes Over as Florida DOC Secretary

Gov. Rick Scott named Julie Jones as secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) on Wednesday. Jones will take the post on Jan. 5.

Julie Jones has had a distinguished career working with our states law enforcement community for over 30 years, Scott said on Wednesday. It is evident through her work across state government that she is a true reformer who is laser-focused on ensuring accountability and transparency. She led the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for nearly five years with integrity, and under her leadership she managed a complete restructuring of the agency that led to more oversight. She also secured Cabinet approval for a performance plan to ensure the agency was running efficiently while holding employees accountable. Floridas recidivism rate continues to decline and I know she will be committed to making sure it drops even further and making much needed reforms with the current system. I am confident Julie will be an effective leader at DOC and make sure the agency is run with accountability and integrity.

I am honored to be appointed by Governor Scott to lead DOC, Jones said. My top priority is to make sure Florida is the safest state in the nation to raise a family and I look forward to working with stakeholders and our entire law enforcement community to meet that goal. I am also focused on making sure offenders are able to integrate back into their communities when they are released so they have the chance to get a job and build a meaningful career. It is my commitment to build a strong culture of ethics at DOC to ensure transparency for all Floridians.

Jones served as an officer and director of law enforcement during her 26 years in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before moving to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles where she served as executive director from 2009 to 2014.