About Bios
Tara H. Wildes
Tara Wildes worked for over 30 years throughout the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, primarily in the correctional environment. She retired in 2016 with the appointed rank of Director of the Department of Corrections, managing three correctional facilities and the Jacksonville Reentry Center, with over 3400 incarcerated persons, 800 employees and a budget of over 90 million dollars. She was certified by the state of Florida in both corrections and law enforcement, and as an instructor by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission of Florida. Tara is currently employed as a consultant on corrections issues with Wildes, Bowen & Associates, LLC and as an adjunct instructor with Florida State College at Jacksonville. She serves on the boards of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Jacksonville, Prisoners of Christ, Disability Rights Florida and StopTB USA, representing the rights of the incarcerated population and is an advocate for criminal justice and mental health reform.