Former Department of Corrections Secretary to Work with JEHT Foundation
Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2008
McDonough appointed as first senior fellow for organization that promotes criminal justice reform
Tallahassee, Fla. James McDonough, who recently resigned as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections after having made major strides in cleaning up a corrupt and broken prison system, has accepted the JEHT Foundation's invitation to become its first Senior Fellow. In this role, McDonough will make available his knowledge, expertise, and experience to a wide audience including the general public, departments of corrections around the country, and other criminal justice leaders. His appointment begins February 15.
Based in New York City, the JEHT Foundation focuses on how criminal justice systems can increase public safety while decreasing unnecessary incarceration and saving taxpayers' money. The JEHT Foundation has invested over $1 million in projects in Florida including juvenile justice reform and the mental health needs of people in the criminal justice system. The Foundation also has made substantial grants in Michigan and Kansas, among other states.
"Secretary McDonough exhibited extraordinary leadership and courage in rooting out corruption in the department and making tough decisions to improve performance of the staff and provide more humane treatment and increase services for prisoners," said Robert Crane, chief executive officer and president of the JEHT Foundation. "The fact that Secretary McDonough has been named as JEHT's first Senior Fellow reflects our admiration for his accomplishments and our belief that he has more to offer the field in a new capacity."
In addition to meeting with various criminal justice constituencies, McDonough also plans to write a book describing his experience in Florida and how it applies to other corrections systems around the country. The book will focus on how to approach and eliminate corruption within an organization.
McDonough joined the Department of Corrections in 2006 in the hope of changing the agency's overall "culture" regarding the treatment of inmates, where he implemented education and rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals. He also supported improvements to the treatment of the mentally ill in Florida and advocated for a more integrated system between governments and communities and improved training of law enforcement officials to recognize signs of mental illness.
Prior to his appointment with the Department of Corrections, McDonough served as director of the Florida Office of Drug Control and director of strategy for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and retired from the military after a full career as a United States Army officer.
The JEHT Foundation was established in April 2000. Its name stands for the core values that underlie the Foundation's mission: Justice, Equality, Human dignity and Tolerance. The Foundation's programs reflect these interests and values.
