Governor Larry Hogan has announced that following a nationwide search, he has appointed Robert L. Green as the next secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Green currently serves as the director of the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. He replaces Acting Secretary Mike Ziegler, who has served in the position since March.
“Rob Green is a nationally recognized and respected leader with more than 34 years in public safety and corrections,” said Governor Hogan. “He brings a tremendous wealth of experience to the department, and Marylanders can trust he will prioritize the safety of all who come into contact with our corrections system – both for our inmate population and our correctional officers. I would also like to thank Mike Ziegler for his steady leadership of the department during this transition.”
In his current role, Green is responsible for a budget of more than $67 million and a criminal justice involved population of more than 2,000 under Pretrial Supervision, Community Corrections, and Detention Services. From 2000-2014, Green served as the division chief in Montgomery County prior to being appointed as director. Green also served as the Director of Corrections and Corrections Bureau Chief for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked with county and judicial leaders to successfully enhance alternatives to incarceration, serving under three sheriffs during his tenure.
“I take great pride having begun my career as a correctional officer in our state in 1985,” said Green. “I am committed to building upon Governor Hogan’s record of rooting out corruption in our state’s prison system. It is an honor to be appointed by the governor to this position and continue to proudly serve my state and my profession.”
During his career, Green created a Detention Services Re-Entry Unit at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, which was nationally-recognized and replicated in other jurisdictions across the country. The department has received numerous National Association of Counties awards for their innovations and commitment to the best in correctional practices. Green is a longtime member of the American Correctional Association and currently serves on the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections. Green currently serves two gubernatorial appointments for Governor Hogan as the Chair of the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards, as well as the State Justice Reinvestment Oversight Board.
Green was enrolled in the Regents Bachelor of Art Program/Criminal Justice at Shepherd University in West Virginia. Additionally, he attended Hagerstown Community College, as well as the University of Maryland, University College, where he studied government and public safety management.
