The Government of the District of Columbia
It is with immense sadness that we announce the tragic death of Carolyn A. Cross, Deputy Director for Operations at the D.C. Department of Corrections (DCDOC).
“We mourn the loss of our dear friend and a highly valued member of the Corrections family who worked tirelessly throughout her 30-year career in public safety to advance the profession and to promote best practices throughout the field of corrections,” said Director Tom Faust. Ms. Cross, a native Washingtonian who attended high school and college in the District, was found slain in her Alexandria, Va., residence on Sunday morning.
The Alexandria Police Department made an arrest on that same day, and the suspect is being charged with First-Degree Murder. The investigation surrounding the circumstances of Deputy Director Cross’ death is ongoing with the Alexandria Police Department working collaboratively with the D.C. Department of Corrections’ Office of Internal Affairs.
As an accomplished public safety/correctional professional, Deputy Director Cross had a tremendous impact on the department and the progress made in moving it forward. She had a wealth of knowledge and experience that began on the front lines, where she served as Correctional Officer, then Sergeant followed by her promotion to the supervisory role of Correctional Lieutenant at Lorton’s Youth Center 2, a position that distinguished her as the first female assigned to serve in that function.
She then continued to rise through the correctional ranks serving as Deputy Warden and Warden at correctional facilities both publicly and privately operated in Lake City, Fla., Lawrenceville, Va. and Washington, D.C. Adding to her professional expertise was Deputy Director Cross’ keen sense of the administrative, operational and programmatic protocols required to safely and efficiently operate jails/prisons and to ensure full compliance with standards set by the American Correctional Association (ACA). ACA is the national organization that serves all disciplines within the corrections profession and establishes standards for the safe and effective operation of state, county, federal and private facilities.
As testament to her commitment to excellence, Ms. Cross spearheaded efforts that resulted in ACA accreditation of the Maximum Security Facility at Lorton, the first DCDOC facility to achieve full accreditation. This achievement was followed by her designation as a Senior Compliance Monitor for the Department as well as an auditor for the American Correctional Association (ACA), a role that called for her to travel around the country auditing both large and small correctional facilities.
Deputy Director Cross was an active member of a number of professional organizations including the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, Women in Corrections, Juvenile Justice Executive Women in Corrections, the Correctional Education Association, the Correctional Training Association, and Blacks in Criminal Justice.
She most recently was the recipient of the Carl Robinson Award given by the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association (MASCA) for demonstrating extraordinary leadership and making significant contributions to the field of corrections.