DeEdra Hart Named Warden at Kentucky State Penitentiary

Kentucky Department of Corrections Commissioner Jim Erwin today announced that DeEdra Hart has been named warden at Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP). Hart is the first female to serve as warden of the 132-year-old prison.

Hart will take the reins on July 1. She is a 23-year veteran of the Department of Corrections and most recently served as warden at Green River Correctional Complex, a post she held from July 2015 to her appointment at KSP. She served as deputy warden at Western Kentucky Correctional Complex (WKCC) from 2012-2015.

“DeEdra Hart was the logical choice for this important position, given her experience and her expertise,” said Commissioner Erwin. “She has prepared herself to take on a maximum-custody prison operation.”

Hart began her career with the Department of Corrections at WKCC as a correctional officer in 1995. She quickly began moving up the ranks and has held numerous positions within institutions including classification and treatment officer, unit administrator and offender information supervisor.

Her corrections career includes serving two years as a probation and parole officer in Owensboro.

“I am truly honored to be selected to lead such an outstanding team of corrections professionals who are dedicated to the mission of public safety and the rehabilitation of the inmate population,” said Hart.

Hart has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political science from Murray State University. She is the recipient of the 2004 Commissioner’s Achievement Award and a graduate of the Commissioner’s Executive Leadership Program.

She has been an active member of the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency (KCCD) since 2000, and has served three terms as chapter president for the Four Rivers KCCD chapter and 13 terms as secretary for the KCCD board of directors. In addition, she is a four-time recipient of KCCD’s Mary Frances Cooper Award. Hart also holds the office of state representative with the Southern States Correctional Association.

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