PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The R.I. Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to send Gov. Dan McKee's controversial pick to lead the state's prison system to the full Senate for confirmation.

The panel voted in favor of Wayne Salisbury, whom McKee nominated to serve as the permanent director of the R.I. Department of Corrections, after hearing more than an hour of testimony for and against him.

Salisbury has been the focus of intense public scrutiny since McKee made the pick last month. The senators questioned Salisbury about his plans for the prison, his work history and different allegations that have been made against him.

"There's always an opportunity to listen and compromise and at the end of the day there's some things we can do and some things we can't," Salisbury said about some of the criticism.

Much of the criticism has come from the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers union, which has mounted a public campaign against Salisbury saying he's a bad pick to lead the prison.

The union group said the prison has become less safe since Salisbury became interim director in January 2023. Union president Richard Ferruccio has also criticized him for getting charged with a felony in 2010, along with failing to disclose out-of-state travel he took over the past year on ethics forms.

"This violation is now being referred to the Rhode Island Ethics Commission," Ferruccio said in prepared remarks. "I'll also note this violation is exactly the same kind of disregard for the state's ethics rule that Governor McKee got cited for when he failed to disclose a trip to Asia that was paid for by the Taiwanese government."

Target 12 first reported about the undisclosed travel last week. After asking Salisbury about the trips, he quickly amended his ethics report to include six journeys he made last year that were paid for by third parties.

"I was thoroughly embarrassed when I got the call and needed to report that on my ethics form," he said. "I was totally unaware it was a question. As soon as I was made aware, I contacted the Ethics Commission."

After the hearing, Salisbury addressed the union criticism, saying "everybody is entitled to their opinion and opportunities to speak out."

"Am I disappointed in the approach that they took – absolutely," he said. "But the reality is that we need to move forward and we have to work together. We have to find some solutions and some compromise and common ground."

Several people also testified in support of Salisbury, including people he's worked with over the years, who described him as the right person for the job. They also suggested that Salisbury supports prison reforms related to discipline and rehabilitation.

Steven Parkhurst, who was sentenced to life in prison after killing 20-year-old Trevor Ramella in 1992, was recently granted parole and released. He now advocates for education in prison systems across the country, saying it was because of programs supported by Salisbury that he was able to turn his life around.

"I never thought in a million years I would testify in support of anybody at that prison let alone a director," he told the lawmakers Tuesday.

Clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee is a critical hurdle for Salisbury to gain the job. The nomination now goes to the full Senate for a final vote. Lawmakers are seeking to adjourn for the year by the end of this week.