Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall swore-in Nashville’s first African American, female chief of corrections December 1. The historic moment came for 24-year DCSO veteran, Ruby Joyner, as she takes over the largest division of the 1,000-employee agency. She assumes the role of current chief, Tony Wilkes, who is retiring after 36 years of service.
“Ruby’s stellar resume made her an easy choice to lead our corrections division,” Hall said. “Most importantly, for years, she has focused her professional efforts on compassion for the inmate population and their families, been a leader, by example, to our employees, and worked tirelessly to ensure the facilities under her responsibility have operated safely.”
Prior to joining the DCSO, Ruby worked for the Public Defender of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County as well as the Mental Health Cooperative. She has held numerous leadership roles throughout her sheriff’s office career, latest of which was administrator of the Correctional Development Center for Males and Females and the Maximum Correctional Center, located on DCSO’s southeast campus.
“I am honored Sheriff Hall has placed his confidence in me to move our agency forward in a progressive and responsible manner,” Joyner said. “I’m ready to represent men, women, persons of color, and persons of diverse backgrounds. Previous DCSO leaders have challenged me and expected I would do well, but my parents are responsible for getting me off to the best start. They didn’t use words like we have in our mission statement: accountability, diversity, integrity, and professionalism. However, today, I know those are the words they wanted to characterize who I would become.”
Joyner, who has a dual bachelor’s degree in psychology and social work as well as a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee College of Social Work, says she is ready to take a seat at the table with criminal justice stakeholders and learn from them while “being true to myself.”
