Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randy Liberty is retiring.

Governor Janet Mills has announced Liberty will be leaving October 1st after she appointed him to the position when she was first elected eight years ago.

Mills said Liberty earned international acclaim for developing the Maine Model approach to corrections emphasizing rehabilitation, mutual respect, and human dignity.

“As Commissioner, Randy drew on personal experience to ensure our Corrections system treats all people with dignity, gives them hope, and offers them the opportunity to build better lives. I am profoundly grateful for his leadership, his compassion, and his more than four decades of service to Maine people,” said Mills in a statement.

She said Maine’s recidivism rate has dropped to one of the lowest in the nation, with a reincarceration rate of 21% — a 15% decline since 2008.

Deputy Commissioner Anthony Cantillo will assume the role of Acting Commissioner when Liberty retires.

Liberty previously served as Warden of the Maine State Prison starting in 2015, and served for more than 26 years in the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, including nine as the elected sheriff.