James V. Crosby, Jr. is the former Secretary

Secretary

A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...

 of the Florida Department of Corrections

Florida Department of Corrections

The Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States...

. He took over from Michael W. Moore

Michael W. Moore

Michael W. Moore is the former Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections.Moore earned a Bachelor's Degree in Criminology and Corrections from Sam Houston State University in 1976. He worked for more than two decades in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice where he rose from a...

. He was appointed by Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 governor Jeb Bush

Jeb Bush

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...

 in 2003.

Crosby earned his bachelor's and is a certified public manager. Crosby joined the Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 Department of Corrections in 1975 and served as the warden at five major institutions, including Florida State Prison

Florida State Prison

Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...

. He also served as regional director of Security and Institutional Management, Region II. He replaced George Denman as Region II director in 2001.

On February 10, 2006 Crosby was forced to resign as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections

Florida Department of Corrections

The Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States...

. Several investigations by state and federal law enforcement agencies brought a great deal of negative publicity to the agency. Governor Jeb Bush published a brief statement, noting that in time, it would be evident why Crosby was forced to resign.

On July 5, 2006, it was reported that Crosby would plead guilty to accepting kickbacks. Two law enforcement officials close to the case also said that new charges were expected against almost a dozen current and former prison employees.

Governor Bush named James McDonough, Col. (ret) as interim secretary and McDonough was later given the job on a permanent basis. McDonough is a former Army colonel who commanded troops in Vietnam and Africa. He served as Florida's drug czar before taking on the job as the head of Florida's prison system, which oversaw at the time, 90,000 inmates. On February 7, 2008, he left his post as secretary of Florida's Department of Corrections because, saying that he felt he had cleaned up the corruption left behind by Crosby.

Crosby is now serving an eight-year prison sentence in FCI Morgantown, a Federal Prison in West Virginia. His projected release date is May 11, 2014.