BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Corrections has named a female warden to lead the state women’s prison.
The Advocate reports Kristen Thomas was promoted to head the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel.
The facility's inmates have been displaced to temporary locations since the prison was damaged during massive flooding that struck the Baton Rouge region in 2016.
A replacement prison is in the works, but construction hasn't started.
Thomas most recently worked as chief of security at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, a men’s prison also in St. Gabriel.
Her selection comes as the corrections department pushes to create a more diverse and inclusive leadership team in an industry historically dominated by white men.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
