February 4, 2013

GOV. MALLOY: CORRECTION COMMISSIONER ARNONE TO RETIRE FOLLOWING 39 YEARS OF STATE SERVICE

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has received notification from Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Leo C. Arnone of his intention to retire from his position effective April 1, 2013, following 39 years of service with the State of Connecticut.

"Commissioner Arnone has served the State of Connecticut for nearly four decades, providing his expertise in helping ensure safety, security and order for the people of our state," Governor Malloy said. "As commissioner of the correction department, he has particularly been respected and admired, not only within Connecticut, but throughout the country for turning our correctional facilities into a nationwide model. While I will miss his dedication to state service, I know that on a personal basis this is the right decision for him at this time, and I am grateful to have had him as a member of my administration."

Arnone was first appointed as Commissioner of DOC by Governor M. Jodi Rell in 2010 and then re-appointed to the position by Governor Malloy upon his inauguration in 2012. DOC is responsible for oversight and administration over the state's correctional facilities.

"I have served this great state for almost 39 years, making this decision very difficult," Arnone wrote in a letter to the Governor . "My family has been the support, providing the strength that has helped sustain my career throughout the years. They never questioned the long hours, lost weekends, and 24-hour on-call that comes with this type of work. It is time to repay those years of dedication by spending quality time with my wife and family."

Starting his career at DOC in 1974, Arnone rose through the ranks as a Correctional Officer to a Correctional Captain. Subsequently from 1988 to 1993, Arnone served as the Deputy Warden and Warden at the Hartford Correctional Center, a high-security, 1,000 bed pre-trial facility. From 1993 to 1995, he was regional director with the department.

From 1995 to 2007, Arnone served in the Judicial Branch, first as the Superintendent of the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center, and then later as the Deputy Director of Operations for Juvenile Detention Services. In 2007 until being appointed DOC Commissioner, he served as Bureau Chief at the Bureau of Juvenile Services within the Department of Children and Families, where he had oversight of the Connecticut Juvenile Training School, five privately-operated residential training schools, parole and reentry programs for children and specialized community mental health programming.

Governor Malloy said a nationwide search for Arnone's successor, which will be led by Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy & Planning Mike Lawlor, will begin in the coming weeks.

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For Immediate Release: February 4, 2013

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