Jeffrey Beard

Jeffrey Beard, Ph.D., secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will retire at the end 2015. Beard has served as secretary of the department since 2012. He began his criminal justice career in 1972 with the Department of Corrections in Pennsylvania (DCP) as a corrections counselor, serving in various positions until he was appointed secretary by Governor Tom Ridge in 2001. He remained with the DCP until August 2010, after which he served as a consultant and/or instructor to the National Institute of Corrections, corrections agencies and various companies on correctional matters, security, performance measures, mental health issues, evidence-based programs and assessment. He was also a professor of practice with the Justice Center for Research at Pennsylvania State University. Beard holds a B.S. in psychology, a master’s degree in education and a Ph.D. in counseling, all from the Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Prison Wardens Association, American Correctional Association, Western Association of Correctional Administrators and the Association of State Correctional Administrators.