New Prisons Chief Appointed
The quick news of Jeanne Woodford's resignation as acting secretary of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has led to another quick announcement, with Governor Schwarzenegger appointing a new acting chief-- the second in as many months.
Woodford's decision to step down was reported this morning in the papers. This afternoon, Schwarzenegger tapped James Tilton to replace her. Tilton, 57, was previously in charge of budget issues related to the state's prisons system, but was a deputy director in the department for 13 years before that.
All of this follows the February resignation of Secretary Rod Hickman, and only adds to the chatter about what's next for the state's beleaguered prisons system.
In a Q&A this morning, the governor commented on the changes and the challenges that lie ahead.
"It is a slow process," said Schwarzenegger. "It's something that for the last 10 or 15 years has been going on. And so now to undo that is a big challenge. But we're doing it."
