Sheriff Harvey remembers the late Harry K. Singletary, Jr.  E-mail
Former Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Harry K. Singletary, Jr. died Jan. 29 at the age of 63. The DOC’s first African-American secretary, Wakulla County Sheriff David Harvey remembered Singletary for his compassion and progressive thinking.
Singletary was selected for the DOC post by former Gov. Lawton Chiles and served in the post for eight years.
“Harry and Lawton were strong advocates of community corrections as I am,” said Sheriff Harvey. “He believed in allowing inmates to stay in a county jail or correctional facility near their families.”
A former center on the Presbyterian College, now Eckerd, basketball team, Harvey remembered Singletary as an outstanding athlete.
“He really was a bright guy and a great athlete. I played golf with him down at Wildwood,” said the sheriff. “He told great stories and was a character. He really understood corrections.”
The Wakulla County Jail once housed state inmates and used their services for work release before losing the grant funding for the program.
Singletary organized a “Shorts Day” where DOC employees wore shorts below their shirts, ties and sports coats as a fundraising activity.
“He was a lot of fun,” Harvey concluded.
 
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