Mar. 1, 2018 -- Westchester County Executive George Latimer has named Joseph K. Spano as Commissioner and Louis A. Molina as First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Corrections. Both bring a lifetime of experience, and diverse backgrounds, to the leadership positions.
Latimer said: “Both Joe and Lou will work to make the Westchester County Jail a nationwide model facility. These are serious men, taking on a serious job. I look forward to working with them, and our entire Corrections staff, to solve the unique challenges that face a jail of our size.”
Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins: “We interviewed countless people for these positions and the individuals standing before us were the best of that process. From my tenure at the County Board, I have a history with Joe during his first run as Commissioner. When he left, Westchester had some of the lowest recidivism rates in the nation in addition to countless inmate transitional programs. I look forward to working with Joe and Lou to improve the current conditions of the Department.”
For the past eight years, Spano has served in the private sector with roles aimed to improve the development and strategic planning of New York State jails. Previously, he served the County of Westchester - beginning as a Corrections Officer in 1982 and eventually spending nearly two years as the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections from August 2008- January 2010.
During his time as Commissioner, Spano directly oversaw the overall operation of the second largest County jail in New York. This included coordination and evaluation of all programs, management of a $130 million budget and providing direction for programs to improve inmate health, training, treatment and educational courses.
Molina, a veteran of the United States Marine Corp, comes to Westchester County after serving New York City and the United States Government in numerous leadership roles. Beginning as a New York City police officer, Molina has spent his career working to provide safety to all of the organizations and people he has represented. This includes time as a Senior Police Advisor and Instructor in Puebla, Mexico for the Department of State and Assistant Director, and Campus Operational Readiness Transition Manager for New York University’s Abu Dhabi Campus.
Most recently, Molina served the people of New York City as First Deputy Chief of the TLC’s Enforcement Division, and Chief Internal Monitor and Acting Assistant Commissioner Nunez Compliance Unit of the New York City Department of Correction. In these Agency Executive Cabinet roles, Molina brought his specialized training to improve the agencies he was assigned.
Spano said: “I am excited to come back to the place where my career began. My first tenure as Commissioner prepared me for this role and I am eager to help move the jail and its prospects forward.”
Molina said: “The Westchester County Jail should be a model for jails around the country to look at and learn from. This is exactly what Joe and I intend to do and I look forward to delivering.”
President of the Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association Sgt. Hector Lopez said: “Both Joe and Lou are excellent choices to lead the Corrections department into the future. With one of the state’s largest jails, we need steady leadership that will have the best interests of all stakeholders in mind - Joe and Lou are those leaders.”
Senior Advisor to STRIVE, an organization that provides transitional support and workforce training to inmates and jails, Dan Gonzalez said: “I have known Lou Molina a long time and am certain he will provide the type of leadership in Westchester that will be replicated around the nation. He is a man of the future who understands the importance of transitional practices, to ensure jails are providing proper rehabilitation so that inmates are released back into the community with the skills they need.”