Randall Liberty to retire as Maine corrections commissioner

Randall Liberty will retire as the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections on October 1. Liberty has held the position since 2019 and has a career spanning four decades in the military, law enforcement, and corrections.

Governor Janet Mills praised Liberty for his leadership and his role in implementing the ‘Maine Model’ of corrections. This approach focuses on restorative justice and rehabilitation to reduce recidivism, which the administration credits for helping Maine achieve one of the lowest recidivism rates in the nation. Liberty, a Bronze Star recipient with military service in Korea, Italy, and Iraq, stated that creating the Maine Model was a career highlight.

Critics of Liberty’s tenure have pointed to his policies regarding gender identity in prisons, specifically his decision to house transgender-identifying male inmates in women’s facilities.