Prison chief won't go to Texas

By JULIE HAUSERMAN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 29, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida prison chief Michael Moore was passed over Thursday for a job as head of the Texas state prison system.

A three-member Texas selection panel picked Gary Johnson to be executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Johnson was an in-house candidate, having served as that state's No. 2 Texas prison official.

Moore, who has had a tumultuous tenure since he came to Florida 21/2 years ago, was among five finalists for the Texas job. The other finalists included a second Texas prison official and prison executives in Arizona and Missouri.

It remains to be seen whether Moore's willingness to apply for jobs elsewhere might undermine his relationship with the Florida Legislature. Some lawmakers have criticized Moore for the way he runs the Department of Corrections.

One of Moore's most outspoken critics, state Sen. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, said Moore's failed bid to go to Texas could have political repercussions.

"People know that he is willing to take the next flight out of Tallahassee," Meek said. "The Department of Corrections has many problems, and he's too far in his tenure in the department to be able to blame it on the last administration."

Moore, 52, said last week he was interested in the Texas job because he is a native Texan and has family there.

Reached Thursday, Moore said he is "pleased to be in Florida. We're doing some great things, and we've got some great employees."

He also issued a statement praising Johnson, the man who got the Texas job, and thanking Gov. Jeb Bush for "his support and for the opportunity to participate in this process."

If selected for the Texas job, Moore would have earned about $150,000, $40,000 more than his salary in Florida.

Before Bush recruited him in 1999, Moore ran the prison system in South Carolina. In two years here, Moore has had one of the most challenging tenures in Florida Department of Corrections history.

In July 1999, when Moore had only been on the job for six months, the prison system was rocked by the death of Frank Valdes, a death row inmate at Florida State Prison. Valdes died after a confrontation with guards, who were trying to move him into a different cell. Seven officers are facing second-degree murder charges.

Last year, Florida switched from the electric chair to lethal injection after an inmate bled from the nose during his execution, providing fodder for electric-chair opponents. Lethal injection hasn't been without problems, either. In June 2000, technicians had trouble inserting a needle into killer Bennie Demps.

The Florida prison system has been dogged by criticism about racism among the guards, including allegations of a racist clique of officers who wear knotted cord key chains. In April, African-American guards sued the state, saying the department has rampant racism and alleging that the department has retaliated against them.

Moore's department also was criticized by auditors, who said nearly a quarter of offenders on probation have escaped supervision. Auditors also said Moore's massive reorganization of the corrections department failed to save money and created distrust among employees.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright