Delaware News

Department of Correction Announces Senior Leadership Promotion

Department of Correction | News | Date Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2024


Robert May photo

Dover, DE – Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) Acting Commissioner Terra Taylor today announced that James T. Vaughn Correctional Center Warden Robert May has been promoted to Chief of the Bureau of Prisons.  May, a 31-year veteran of the DOC and the Department’s most experienced Warden, began his career as a Correctional Officer at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in 1993 and has held leadership positions in Level V prison and Level IV community corrections facilities in all three counties, including Correctional Captain at Kent County Community Corrections, Deputy Warden at Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, and Deputy Bureau Chief of Prisons.  Most recently, he served as Warden of Sussex Correctional Institution from March, 2018 through January 2020 and has served as Warden of James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, the state’s largest prison facility, for the past four years.  May was a four-year member of the DOC Central Intelligence Group and has completed extensive training, including the Risk Needs Responsivity Tool, PREA Auditor Training, Homeland Security Threats, Emergency Preparedness, and Management Development for the Future.  He holds an Associate’s Degree in business, a Bachelor of Science Degree in business management and a Master of Business Administration. May is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

May’s promotion to Bureau Chief is effective immediately.  It follows the promotion earlier this month of Chief of Prisons Shane Troxler to Deputy Commissioner.

“Chief May has dedicated more than three decades of service and leadership to the Department of Correction and he is uniquely qualified to lead the Bureau of Prisons,” Acting Commissioner Terra Taylor said.  “He takes on these new responsibilities with a demonstrated commitment to meeting the security needs of our prison facilities, equipping and training our officers and staff to work safely and effectively, and strongly supporting the essential programming, treatment, educational, and training services for incarcerated individuals that improves their quality of life while in DOC custody and strengthens pathways for their reentry success in the community.”

JTVCC Deputy Warden Philip Parker will serve as Acting Warden until the Warden vacancy is filled.

The Bureau of Prisons oversees the State’s four Level V prisons which together house more than 4,000 incarcerated individuals.  The Bureau is also responsible for several specialized statewide units, teams, or programs with Department-wide responsibilities, including Facilities Maintenance, Food Service operations, and the Special Operations Group which administers the Steven R. Floyd Training Academy, DOC’s central intelligence operations, Correctional Emergency Response Teams, Escapee Recovery Teams, K-9 Units, the Mobile Command Post and Court and Transportation Units for all facilities.

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Department of Correction Announces Senior Leadership Promotion

Department of Correction | News | Date Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2024


Robert May photo

Dover, DE – Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) Acting Commissioner Terra Taylor today announced that James T. Vaughn Correctional Center Warden Robert May has been promoted to Chief of the Bureau of Prisons.  May, a 31-year veteran of the DOC and the Department’s most experienced Warden, began his career as a Correctional Officer at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in 1993 and has held leadership positions in Level V prison and Level IV community corrections facilities in all three counties, including Correctional Captain at Kent County Community Corrections, Deputy Warden at Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, and Deputy Bureau Chief of Prisons.  Most recently, he served as Warden of Sussex Correctional Institution from March, 2018 through January 2020 and has served as Warden of James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, the state’s largest prison facility, for the past four years.  May was a four-year member of the DOC Central Intelligence Group and has completed extensive training, including the Risk Needs Responsivity Tool, PREA Auditor Training, Homeland Security Threats, Emergency Preparedness, and Management Development for the Future.  He holds an Associate’s Degree in business, a Bachelor of Science Degree in business management and a Master of Business Administration. May is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

May’s promotion to Bureau Chief is effective immediately.  It follows the promotion earlier this month of Chief of Prisons Shane Troxler to Deputy Commissioner.

“Chief May has dedicated more than three decades of service and leadership to the Department of Correction and he is uniquely qualified to lead the Bureau of Prisons,” Acting Commissioner Terra Taylor said.  “He takes on these new responsibilities with a demonstrated commitment to meeting the security needs of our prison facilities, equipping and training our officers and staff to work safely and effectively, and strongly supporting the essential programming, treatment, educational, and training services for incarcerated individuals that improves their quality of life while in DOC custody and strengthens pathways for their reentry success in the community.”

JTVCC Deputy Warden Philip Parker will serve as Acting Warden until the Warden vacancy is filled.

The Bureau of Prisons oversees the State’s four Level V prisons which together house more than 4,000 incarcerated individuals.  The Bureau is also responsible for several specialized statewide units, teams, or programs with Department-wide responsibilities, including Facilities Maintenance, Food Service operations, and the Special Operations Group which administers the Steven R. Floyd Training Academy, DOC’s central intelligence operations, Correctional Emergency Response Teams, Escapee Recovery Teams, K-9 Units, the Mobile Command Post and Court and Transportation Units for all facilities.

###

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.