OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed on Friday a longtime Department of Corrections veteran to lead the agency.
Stitt announced Scott Crow, a 23-year employee of the agency, would serve as the new executive director. Crow has been the agency’s interim director since June, when his predecessor Joe Allbaugh abruptly resigned.
In a statement, Stitt praised Crow for helping organize re-entry fairs ahead of a mass commutation last month and for improving morale among agency employees.
“Crow is strengthening morale among employees and setting goals to modernize operations, and he is the right person to receive the appointment to be the next director of ODOC,” Stitt said.
Before joining the agency in 1996 as a special investigation supervisor, Crow worked in law enforcement in southwest Oklahoma.
The Department of Corrections employs about 4,300 workers at its 24 facilities across Oklahoma and has an annual budget of more than $550 million.
Crow’s appointment will require state Senate confirmation in 2020.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.