Meet Louisiana's new prisons chief

Louisiana has a new prisons chief.

Gov. Landry promotes Gary Westcott to Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

“I’ve been successful at every level of law enforcement,” says Secretary Westcott, “and I know that this is going to be the biggest challenge I’ve had.”

Westcott was deputy secretary under Jimmy LeBlanc, who stepped down Thursday due to health reasons.

Westcott says he’s prepared for his new role.

“I’m not a micromanager,” Westcott says. “So I felt once I came here and learned a little bit more and got on the inside, I felt it was something that I really could do.”

Westcott says he plans on taking a proactive approach to running the DOC.

“I’m going to meet with each one on the leadership team,” says Westcott, “and we’re going to evaluate each one of their areas, and I’m going to have some serious conversations about them, about what we need to do moving forward, what kind of changes we need to make.”

Based on those meetings, he will decide on any potential operational changes.

“We want to really evaluate each program,” Westcott says. “See which ones are working and which ones are not working. And the ones that are working, we’re going to enhance them and we’re going to improve them. And the ones that aren’t working or are wasting money, we’re going to get rid of those.”

Westcott says his priorities will include fixing the state’s prison system and enhancing public safety.

“We’ve got to really got to look at officers’ safety and clean up some of the things that need to be cleaned up, and all the other stuff will fall into place,” Westcott says.

Westcott says it is a new day for the DOC.

“Sometimes, there’s time for change,” says Westcott, “and I think that a lot of people were looking for a fresh start and different view, especially with a much different administration that we have with Governor Landry than we’ve had in the past.”