Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary John Tilley announced today the appointment of Erica Hargis as director of the Division of Probation and Parole. The division enhances public safety and promotes offender reintegration in the community through proactive supervision and referral to community based resources. Her appointment is effective immediately.
“Over the past three months, Director Hargis has provided tremendous experience and steadfast leadership in the Division of Probation and Parole,” said Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley. “We have been impressed by her institutional knowledge, quality of work and dedication to the department. I hope everyone will join me today in welcoming her to this new role.”
Hargis began her career with the Department of Corrections in July 2009 as a probation and parole investigator writing pre-sentence investigation reports in District 4. In June 2010, she transferred to District 19 as a probation and parole officer supervising a high-risk caseload. She began working in the Reentry Branch in Jefferson County when she was selected for one of the four grant-funded reentry parole officer positions in 2012. Later that year she promoted to an assistant supervisor at the District 4 Probation and Parole office, and then transferred to District 16 in the same capacity in May 2015.
In September 2017, Hargis became the reentry employment program administrator for Reentry Region 3, assisting justice-involved individuals with employment support services in the greater Louisville area. In March 2018, she was promoted to assistant director of the newly created Division of Reentry Services.
As a result of being one of the original PORTAL reentry team members in District 19, Hargis was the recipient of the Achievement Award for that district in 2011. She assisted with the creation, development and implementation of the Field Training Officer (FTO) program that is currently being utilized in all 20 Probation and Parole districts, earning her a Commissioner’s Award in 2014.
A 2006 graduate of Western Kentucky University, Hargis earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminology. In 2010, she earned a master’s degree from the University of Louisville in justice administration. Hargis is a 2015 graduate of the Commissioner’s Executive Leadership program.