Ricky D. Dixon
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Ricky D. Dixon
Secretary
Florida Department of Corrections
Ricky D. Dixon is the Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections. Dixon was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in November 2021 and assumed responsibility for the operation of the third-largest state prison system in the United States. He is responsible for the care, custody, and control of over 90,000 inmates and more than 144,000 offenders on community supervision. He oversees nearly 24,000 staff members.
Dixon began his career in 1996 as a Correctional Officer at Lancaster Correctional Institution. He promoted through the security ranks and was appointed Correctional Officer Colonel of Florida State Prison.
Following this appointment, Dixon gained experience as an Assistant Warden at Martin and Okeechobee Correctional Institutions and was later promoted to Warden, a position he held at three state correctional institutions.
He then went on to serve as Regional Director of Institutions, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Institutions, and then Deputy Secretary, where he was responsible for the overall operation of the agency, before his appointment to Secretary in 2021.
Dixon currently serves as President for the American Correctional Association.
He has been recognized nationally as a correctional subject matter expert and served on numerous panels including the Correctional Leaders Association, American Correctional Association, North American Association of Wardens & Superintendents, and the National Institute of Corrections.
He holds memberships and affiliations with the American Correctional Association, National Institute of Corrections, Correctional Leaders Association, Florida Sheriff’s Association, Florida Police Chiefs, Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency, the Corrections Foundation, and the Florida Foundation for Correctional Excellence.
Dixon is a Certified Corrections Executive with American Correctional Association and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Florida Gulf Coast University. He is a graduate of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Executive Seminar.
