DeSantis: Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon to Serve for Second Term
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis, as he prepares for his second term, announced that Secretary Ricky Dixon will remain in his position at the Florida Department of Corrections.
“Secretary Ricky Dixon has been a diligent leader of the @FL_Corrections and the improvements made under his leadership have made a positive difference,” DeSantis said.
“I am pleased to have him return as Secretary for this new term.”
Dixon was appointed the Secretary of Corrections in November 2021.
He previously served as Deputy Secretary and was responsible for the overall operation of the agency, working collaboratively with each program area to ensure the mission and vision of the Department are accomplished.
In 2017, Dixon oversaw the largest evacuation of inmates in the U.S. during Hurricane Irma.
The Department of Corrections made headlines this year after DeSantis issued an Executive Order (22-213) activating the Florida National Guard to assist the FDC in an effort to reduce overtime and provide relief for correctional officers on a temporary basis.
National Guard members were ordered to be utilized for period of nine months from the signing of the order or until the Department declares that it no longer needs the Guard’s support, whichever comes first.
The scope of duties excluded any direct supervision of inmates except where such supervision occurs as a normal part of manning control stations or when required in an emergency pertaining to safety and security.
According to reports, Dixon told senators in January that the agency had 5,849 unfilled correctional-officer positions, which he called a “significant vacancy rate.” He said the vacancies affected working conditions.
“Because of the void in the workforce, so, too, the conditions deteriorated and the amount of overtime to work, and the safety aspect has had a significant impact on our agency,” he said at the time.
The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest state prison system in the country with a budget of $2.9 billion, approximately 80,000 inmates and 146,000 offenders on community supervision.
