[2] Born in Overtown, Ross grew up in Liberty City, two of the poorest areas in Miami.
[3] In 1992, Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Ross to a state panel on contraband forfeiture practices.
The governor responded by appointing two Hispanic members, but this did not alleviate dissatisfaction with the panel, given the disproportionate number of African-Americans in the juvenile justice system.
[6] In 1994, Governor Chiles named Ross "to lead a new state agency in charge of juvenile justice programs, everything from prevention and boot camps to long-term lockup".
[4] The administration noted that in appointing Ross, Governor Chiles "wanted to signal a tougher approach to juvenile crime by selecting a career police officer".