Governor: Keeping corrections secretary on amid complaints was ‘unsustainable’

New Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Julie O. Gómez (Facebook via Jenniffer González Colón)

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón confirmed Tuesday that she accepted the resignation of former Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) Secretary Francisco Quiñones Rivera last Friday, with the resignation becoming effective today.

She added that Quiñones Rivera remaining in the position had become “unsustainable” given the number of complaints filed against him.

The governor announced the appointment of attorney Julie O. Gómez as the new head of the DCR. Gómez has spent her career within the agency, beginning as a sociopenal technician and later serving as director of the Legal Division, head of the Ethics Division, member of the Bidding Board, and part of the Parole Board.

“She is someone who comes from within the Department of Corrections … who believes in rehabilitation and reintegration,” González Colón said, emphasizing that Gómez is aligned with the administration’s policy priorities. “There is a platform to fulfill, and I believe she is very focused on demonstrating that.”

González Colón also reiterated her directive -- issued on her first day in office -- to cancel the contract of Physicians Correctional, the medical services provider for the prison system. She criticized the company’s handling of a case involving an employee who was dismissed and later implicated in the death of an innocent person, a controversy widely discussed during the 2024 electoral cycle.

The governor said she expects Gómez to take immediate action once she assumes the post on Thursday, including initiating a bidding process to select a new provider for correctional health services.

Regarding Quiñones Rivera’s departure, González Colón was unequivocal: “I think there are multiple complaints that all of you saw, and it seems unsustainable to keep the secretary in his position.”

The resignation came amid public scrutiny and administrative concerns that had intensified pressure on the agency’s leadership.