HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy named New York City’s top prison official Monday as the state’s next public safety commissioner and the first woman to hold the job.

Dora Schriro has been commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction since 2009 and previously served as a special adviser to former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on immigration and customs enforcement.

Malloy, a Democrat, called Schriro “immensely qualified” for the job. Malloy said he had read about Schriro and her efforts to work with crime victims while developing “state-of-the-art processes to reduce violence and keep offenders from returning to jail.” Malloy said she has a “stellar reputation as an innovator.”