In 1972 he became a patrol officer in the Macon County Sheriff’s Department and for twenty-five years rose through the ranks while also obtaining an associate’s degree in sociology from Richland Community College. 

In November 1998 he was elected the first Black sheriff in Illinois history, but noted, “Race has nothing to do with it, I’m a professional.”  After winning a second term, the governor appointed him director of the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2003.  He remained in that position for six years before being appointed to the Prisoner Review Board in 2009.  When he passed at age 63, Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn said, “Roger believed in the power of law and he proudly upheld the law... We won’t soon see someone like him again.”

Walker was selected for the Decatur Hall of Fame in 2016 and later had part of Illinois Route 48 memorialized in his name.

Mural commissioned by The Inc. Spot and Corey Walker. Artist: Will Harris.