Terra Taylor Sworn In as Commissioner of DOC
Terra Taylor Friday took the oath of office to become the 11th Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Correction. Governor John Carney appointed Taylor as Acting Commissioner in July and the nominated her as Commissioner in January – she was unanimously confirmed by the State Senate on January 24th. Taylor has been in the DOC for 27 years – starting as a college intern.
More information from the DOC:
“During my time as Governor, the Department of Correction has really leaned into doing things differently and better. I am proud of the investments we have made to enhance safety in our correctional facilities, support our correctional employees, and leverage the DOC’s leadership to drive reentry success,” said Governor John Carney. “Commissioner Taylor has been part of the team that has embraced these challenges head-on, and I have full confidence that under her leadership the Department of Correction will continue that progress to better serve our communities.”
Taylor succeeds former Commissioner Monroe B. Hudson Jr. who in July 2023 concluded 35 years of distinguished state service in law enforcement and corrections, including two years as DOC Commissioner and two years as Deputy Commissioner.Â
“I joined the Department of Correction 27 years ago as a college intern and that experience sparked my life’s passion for criminal justice and my strong belief in the power of rehabilitation, second chances, and public service,” Department of Correction Commissioner Terra Taylor said. “I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to build a rewarding career, contribute to public safety, and establish a comprehensive reentry program alongside the many dedicated and capable men and women on our DOC team. I am committed to leading the Department of Correction with integrity, transparency, and accountability and working closely with all stakeholders, including our dedicated staff, law enforcement agencies, community partners, and elected officials to move the DOC forward and fulfill our mission.”
Commissioner Taylor’s goals for the Department of Correction include continued investments in technology to support safety and security, staff training and wellness, expanded evidence-based programming and treatment to support addiction recovery health, and rehabilitation for offenders, and educational and vocational training and deeper collaboration with government and community reentry supports to drive employment and career opportunities and reentry success for individuals returning to the community from incarceration and probation supervision.
Commissioner Taylor has served the Delaware Department of Correction for more than two decades, originally joining the Department in 1997 as a Home Confinement support employee and a college intern. In 1999 she completed Academy training and became a Probation and Parole Officer, specializing in domestic violence and sex offender supervision. She was promoted to Probation and Parole Supervisor in 2011 with responsibility over Electronic Monitoring, Sex Offenders, Intake, the I-ADAPT reentry program, and Interstate Compact. She was further promoted to Operations Administrator at Dover Probation & Parole in 2014 with responsibility over the 24-hour statewide Electronic Monitoring Center and the statewide sex offender program. In 2016, Taylor was named Regional Manager responsible for all Probation and Parole activities across Kent County. She was elevated to Statewide Probation and Parole Director in 2017 with responsibility for Probation and Parole operations and programs in all three counties, where she focused on new initiatives to improve officer equipment, enhance community outreach and education, and improve communication and employee relations. Â She was named Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Community Corrections in November, 2019 and Chief of the Bureau of Community Corrections in August, 2021, focusing on expanding the Bureau’s implementation of the evidence-based Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) intervention model of supervision, opening the first statewide Community Corrections Treatment Center, and navigating the response to the COVID pandemic. In August, 2022 she was promoted to Deputy Commissioner, the Department’s second-highest position with responsibilities for supervising the Department’s four Bureaus and setting direction through policy development, strategic planning, and decision making.
