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Escambia Corrections Department Chief Terminated
December 5, 2015
Escambia County Director of Corrections Michael Tidwell was terminated Friday by Escambia County Administrator Jack Brown, with employees under his leadership now reporting to Assistant County Administrator Chip Simmons. Tidwell held the position for 11 months.
There have been six inmate deaths in the Escambia County Jail in the past year.
Escambia County released the following:
On Friday, Dec. 4, County Administrator Jack Brown made the decision to end Michael Tidwell’s duties as Escambia County Director of Corrections. Starting Dec. 4 jail command, community corrections and road prison staff will report directly to Assistant County Administrator Chip Simmons until the search for a new corrections director is complete.
Immediately, Simmons will work to fill an open health services administrator position and the medical unit will be placed back under the control of the jail commander who will now be empowered to make decisions regarding transporting inmates to an outside medical facility with or without medical staff recommendation. Additionally, a list of critically ill patients will be given to the command staff daily, with each shift providing an end of shift report to include updates on every infirmary patient to the jail commander.
At the 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 Commission Agenda Review Meeting, County Administrator Jack Brown will present a report on the health care system at the jail completed by Alliance Medical Management. In May, Escambia County hired the consultant to conduct an analysis of the current system. Two medical system improvement options were recommended by the group to enhance services and improve operations – to privatize medical and mental health services or continue medical services under an in-house, full-time medical director. Brown is planning to make a recommendation to the board to approve the internal medical director option. This new position would be responsible for clinical policy direction and overall management of the health care program. Other recommendations include establishing an independent monitor position, better determining the financial needs for a successful detained health care program, and rebidding or restructuring the pharmaceutical contract to ensure best pricing. Click here to read the full report which establishes a framework for moving forward with improving jail medical services.
Per county policy, Tidwell was relieved of all duties and given 90 days’ notice. Tidwell started as director on Jan. 26 and was responsible for community corrections, county jail and the road prison. His annual salary was $118,543. He replaced former director Gordon Pike, who retired in November 2014.
Tidwell was selected by a screening committee comprised of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eric Haines, Trial Court Administrator Robin Wright and Taylor County Chief Deputy Richard Johnson, who is also a member of the Florida Model Jail Inspections group, Escambia County Administrator Jack Brown and Chip Simmons who at that time was the Pensacola Chief of Police. Tidwell came to the county with more than 30 years’ experience, a Master’s Degree in Human Services from Lincoln University, and jail management and corrections executive certification.
Comments
11 Responses to “Escambia Corrections Department Chief Terminated”
Look at Tidwell’s record. He has been fired from his last 4 jobs as jail director. Seminole County Jail, Orange County Jail, Orleans Parrish Jail (New Orleans) and Now Escambia. This guy has no clue what he is doing and thankfully Escambia County figured that out. When he was director of Orange County Jail he kept inmate deaths low by rushing near dead inmates out of the jail so they would die in the hospital. Move on Escambia. You don’t know how lucky you are.
People are comfortable with familiarity. There should be a selective hiring process amoung gaurds. Not just hiring someone because they’ve retired from another job. Not just hiring someone because they’ve served in the military. And especially not hiring someone who has already retired from the jail as is the case of several people now. (ie; A. Bishop)
As for the culture itself, you cant change that. Any time there are people who weild great power or control over other human beings and that person is some random uneducated moron off the street, there will be problems.
Can you say scapegoat? The Director cannot be held responsible for this, one year into the job and you expect that many changes. Give me a break. When you hire a person to take over a system that has been broken for years as is the case of the jail. You know he did not receive support from the inside, you know they wanted to keep things the same. No one likes change and Corrections staff are known to not want to improve. How could one man with his back against the wall change the CULTURE of this jail with no support? You need to look inside the jail at the staff first. Next on the agenda, they will hire a good old boy and the problems will persist. Politicians do not know how to operate a jail and the County Administrator surely does not. More of the same to come….
So they terminated a man and are using the recent inmate deaths as justification. However the medical and jail staff, that are tasked with providing care to these death incurred folks, are still employed?
Seems I should hold accountable the Levi Jeans Company because my jeans don’t fit my fat butt anymore. After all they should have known I’d gain weight.
you are right mr.dan the whole county is about the good ole boys and always has been. jack brown has no clue whats going on either.
One day when escambia county ends the process of hiring the same ole people for every decent paying job and this one stops scratching that ones back and vice versa then maybe we will actually get some people with some morals and integrity until then they will always conduct business as usual and the lowest outsider will take the fall. The board of county commissioners are a joke right now and quit frankly have been for some time especially the one that was so disrespectful to the police officer how does he still have a job how. Does this not bother anyone else if not we are the problem for not speaking up
There was no medical director to fire. Medical reported directly to the Chief. Medical personnel had requested a full time medical director.
Seems they should have fired the MEDICAL DIRECTOR and not the overall Director. A lot we don’t know in this story.
The Chief Deputy involved in his hiring has nothing to do with the way the BCC has destroyed it since they took it over. One of the biggest mistakes in county government history. Thanks Gene for spearheading this disaster. You guys can really run the jail better than Morgan- run it right into the ground!
With the ECSO chief deputy involved in the hiring it’s no wonder the wrong person was hired. He hasn’t a clue what he is doing!
I guess I am not understanding this. They fired him because of the jail deaths. The jail had a medical director that ran medical. until the they decide to build the new jai the main jail is in turmoil. Not enough officer to many inmates I belive everyone is doing the best they can with what they have to work with. Not sure the firing of the director is the answer that is just anohter probelm the jail has to face.