Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he has appointed Richard Comerford secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), the third largest correctional system in the United States. He replaces Ricky Dixon, who announced in May that he would step down from his position at the end of June, having served since November 2021.
Comerford has served with the FDC for more than four decades, beginning as a correctional officer at Okaloosa Correctional Institution in 1986. He has served as deputy secretary in the department since January 2022.
According to a press release issued by the governor’s office, Comerford has advanced through a variety of jobs in the Corrections Department, including supervisory, investigative, and command roles, as well as assistant deputy secretary for institutions and multiple warden and assistant warden assignments across the state.
“I am truly humbled to have the trust and support of Governor Ron DeSantis to be the next Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections,” Comerford said in a written statement. “Serving the men and women of FDC has been the honor of a lifetime, and I know the experience I gained working alongside former Secretary Ricky Dixon will serve Florida well as we take up the mantle and build upon the successes he delivered. I look forward to working together with our dedicated correctional professionals to uphold public safety and strengthen resources for our staff.”
Dixon said that the department would be “in great hands.”
“As Deputy Secretary, his fingerprints are on every major success our agency experienced during my tenure. His vision and expertise helped shape Florida into a national leader in corrections, and I am confident he will continue building on that success while supporting the men and women who serve on the front lines,” Dixon said.
Comerford inherits a corrections system that that took some significant blows from the budget signed by DeSantis this week. The governor vetoed legislation approved unanimously in both chambers of the Legislature that would have funded $50 million in corrections capital projects in each of the next 40 years and constructed a new 600-bed corrections hospital.
A master plan for the Department of Corrections produced in 2023 by the consulting firm KPMG called for the construction of one 4,800-bed prison and one 600-bed hospital by 2030.
