Blagojevich picks Macon County sheriff to run Illinois prisons

DECATUR, Ill. -- Saying they shared the same priorities, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced Thursday that he has chosen Macon County Sheriff Roger E. Walker Jr. to run the state prison system.

"His priorities are the same as mine -- to operate and maintain the best, the safest and the most efficient correctional system in the country," Blagojevich said at an afternoon news conference here.

Walker is the Democratic governor's second nominee to be director of the Corrections Department. The first, Ernesto Velasco, stepped aside amid allegations of systematic beatings of prisoners at the Cook County Jail while he was administrator there.

Walker said when the governor called to offer him the job, he was "so ecstatic I didn't know what to do." He promised his commitment to improve a department that Blagojevich said is bloated with bureaucracy and doesn't do enough to help rehabilitate criminals.

"I see (the department) as a wheel, and Roger Walker is going to be a little grease that's going to make the wheel run smoother," Walker said.

Walker, 54, is the first black man to be elected sheriff in Illinois. The Decatur native is a 31-year veteran of the Macon County Sheriff's Department, rising through the ranks from patrol officer to lieutenant before he was elected in 1998.

He was unopposed for re-election last November.

'Care about fairness'

"I'm not big on power," he said as he talked about his approach to his new job. "I don't care about power. I care about togetherness. I care about fairness. I care about cooperation. I care about dedication and commitment."

Blagojevich said those qualities made Walker the obvious choice.

"He has the experience in exactly what we want to do, cut waste and bring new ideas and a new way of doing business to the Department of Corrections," Blagojevich said. "Sheriff Walker has his priorities straight. Across the correctional system he will use public funds efficiently."

Walker's tenure as sheriff has not been without some discontent. Saying a tight budget left him no choice, Walker began serving just one hot meal a day in 2001.

Inmates complained that he was starving them, but Walker said the meals met all state nutrition guidelines.

Blagojevich said Walker has shown he could make budget cuts without damaging the quality of service provided by his department.

Walker served on Blagojevich's transition team, working on the committee handling crime and safety issues.

Walker's appointment comes seven weeks after Velasco withdrew. The governor initially hailed the Mexican immigrant as an example of the American dream of reaching the top through hard work.

But he put the appointment on hold after the Chicago Tribune reported allegations of prisoners being mistreated.

Walker's appointment is subject to confirmation by the state Senate. He is expected to take over the department on June 1 and will be paid $127,600 per year, the governor's office said.

Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, called Walker "an excellent choice."

Rep. Charles Morrow, D-Chicago, chairman of a House appropriations committee that oversees prison and human services spending said the department was in need of direction and that he hoped to meet Walker as soon as possible.

"I hope that the governor did a more thorough job of investigating it than he did on Velasco," Morrow said.