Quinn names acting DoC director

By Jamey Dunn

Gov Pat Quinn named former budget adviser Gladyse Taylor to replace exiting Department of Corrections Director Michael Randle.

Taylor will move up from acting assistant director to acting director after Randle’s scheduled departure on September 17. She previously served in the governor’s Office of Management and Budget and at the DoC. She came back to the department in May during a staff shake up in the wake of the scandal over the “Meritorious Good Time Push” program. Under the now-canceled program, prisoners were awarded “good time” credit at the beginning of their sentences, so some were released after serving as little as 11 days.

Quinn told reporters yesterday that he did not push Randle to leave. He has defended Randle against calls for his firing since the program made headlines. Quinn claims Randle went against his orders by releasing some violent offenders early. Randle said he implemented “MGT Push” to make required budget cuts.

Randle is returning to Ohio to run a new correctional facility, scheduled to open in January, for the nonprofit Oriana House Inc. Before coming to Illinois to head DoC, he served as assistant director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.