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| Former NYC corrections chief going to Florida |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 05/13/2004 |
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The former head of New York City's jails, who retired amid questions about his residency in the city, was named Wednesday to head Florida's troubled Department of Juvenile Justice. Anthony Schembri, 61, was appointed secretary of Juvenile Justice by Gov. Jeb Bush, who said his wide experience and knowledge in criminal justice will help a department that's fighting heavy scrutiny and low morale. Schembri, the model for the New York-based television show "The Commish," will take over an agency that has seen two inmate deaths and allegations of officers having sex with locked up girls. State lawmakers held hearings this year on the difficulties at the department. A newspaper reported in April that more than 600 cases of abuse or neglect have taken place at state juvenile detention centers in the past decade, with nearly two-thirds occurring since 2000. The department also has been dealing with a series of high-profile incidents, including the death of 17-year-old Omar Paisley from a burst appendix in a Miami-Dade County detention center last June. He went without treatment for three days before dying. Schembri retired to Florida and has been serving as a member of the Florida Corrections Commission. He also has been teaching at the University of Central Florida. He will take over for Bill Bankhead, who has left the agency to battle cancer. He said training and changes in organization will be his immediate focus. One change will be to make the person in charge of DJJ training report to him. Schembri said he was enthusiastic about the job and would bring a new upbeat attitude to the agency. |
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