Fired prisons chief second in command

Rehired by Bush, Richard Dugger is in line to regain the top job if the current chief leaves.

By ALISA ULFERTS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 12, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Seven years ago, Richard Dugger backed the loser in the governor's race and lost his job as state corrections secretary as a result. Gov. Lawton Chiles fired him.

But Jeb Bush, the man who lost the 1994 election, won in 1998. And now Dugger's back near the top too.

Dugger, a 35-year corrections veteran, has been named deputy secretary of the state Department of Corrections.

Dugger, 58, has been director of institutions for the department since August. He replaces Michael Wolfe, who left the department last week. Dugger will earn $105,370.

The son of a corrections official, Dugger said Wednesday he is just pleased to continue working with corrections employees.

"I understand the political process, and you take your chances" when you become involved in a campaign, he said.

"This is the only job I've ever really wanted to do," he said.

Dugger was fired from his job in 1994 shortly after he openly supported Bush instead of Chiles.

During the election, Dugger contributed about $1,400 to Bush, campaigned for him during off-duty hours and attended Bush's election night celebration in Miami. Corrections officials later said his support for Bush divided the department.

He was rehired after Bush won the 1998 election.

As a child, Dugger followed his father about the grounds of Florida State Prison, where his father was an assistant superintendent. Later, as superintendent there, Dugger would occasionally drink with the condemned before they were led to the electric chair.

"I think what I did was right," Dugger said in 1984 after a report by the House Criminal Justice Committee detailed the scotch-and-soda mix Dugger drank with Robert A. Sullivan the morning of Sullivan's execution.

Dugger later served as corrections secretary more than a decade ago under the last Republican governor, Bob Martinez.

Since coming back to the Corrections Department, Dugger has rapidly scaled the managerial hierarchy. He was appointed deputy director of institutions in June 1999 and director of that division barely a year later.

Some wonder if he will continue that climb to the very top. Corrections Secretary Michael Moore, whose 21/2 years in Florida have been marked by the fatal beating of an inmate to allegations of racism in the ranks, applied for the top job in the Texas prison system a few weeks ago. Texas didn't hire him.

Moore released a statement Wednesday, praising Dugger's service.

"He is a strong member of my team and is the best person to fill this position," Moore said.

As second in command, Dugger would be a logical replacement if Moore leaves. Dugger isn't entertaining that idea yet, but he said there is some healing needed in the department.

"That is an issue we are looking at," Dugger said.

"I think now is the time to regalvanize our strength."

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