Randall Liberty is stepping down as the head of Maine’s prison system.
That caps off a four-decade career in the military, law enforcement and corrections, most recently as Maine’s corrections commissioner, a post he’s held since Gov. Janet Mills was first elected.
He will step down effective Oct. 1.
The Mills administration praised Liberty for his emphasis on rehabilitation, dignity, reintegration and public safety, crediting him for Maine achieving one of the nation’s lowest recidivism rates.
“Randy Liberty’s life and career reflect his profound belief that every person deserves the opportunity for redemption. Only in Maine, and only in America, could a young corrections officer once assigned to guard his own father in a county jail go on to lead transformational change across corrections systems around the world,” Mills said in a Wednesday statement. “As Commissioner, Randy drew on personal experience to ensure our Corrections system treats all people with dignity, gives them hope, and offers them the opportunity to build better lives. I am profoundly grateful for his leadership, his compassion, and his more than four decades of service to Maine people.”
Before becoming corrections commissioner in 2019, Liberty served as the warden of the Maine State Prison in Warren, a post he assumed in 2015 after serving as Kennebec County sheriff. During his time in the military, Liberty was deployed to Korea, Italy and Iraq, where he was embedded with Iraqi infantry in Fallejuah. He was awarded the Bronze Star.
“It has been the honor of my career to serve alongside the extraordinary team at the Maine Department of Corrections. Together, we created the Maine Model, which has become the gold standard for rehabilitation and reducing recidivism,” Liberty said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to every Department employee whose dedication made this work possible, and to Governor Mills for her steadfast trust and support as we’ve worked to redefine what corrections can look like.”
Liberty’s deputy, Anthony Cantillo, will take over as acting commissioner. Cantillo has worked in the Maine prison system since 2013, including stints as deputy warden of the state prison and warden of the Maine Correctional Center in Windham.