FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 27, 2020) – Kentucky Department of Corrections Commissioner Cookie Crews announced today that DeEdra Hart, warden of the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) in Lyon County, has announced her retirement effective Aug. 1. Scott Jordan, currently the warden at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex (LLCC), has been appointed as the new warden of KSP.
“I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Warden Hart for her years of service and exemplary leadership,” said Commissioner Crews. “When looking for a new warden of the Penitentiary, a unique, multi-faceted facility, we knew we needed someone with extensive Correctional experience and leadership ability. Scott Jordan’s selection encompasses all those things. His dedication to the Department of Corrections and his employees is unmatched. We feel confident he will succeed in this new role.”
Jordan has served as the warden of LLCC since May 2016. Previously he had served as the warden of the Ross-Cash Center, as well as the deputy warden of both KSP and Western Kentucky Correctional Complex (WKCC). He began his career in 2001 as a correctional officer at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women. He was promoted through the security ranks to the position of senior captain, which he has held at both LLCC and Kentucky State Reformatory (KSR).
In addition, Jordan has extensive internal affairs experience, serving as the internal affairs officer at LLCC and KSR for several years. He was also the security threat group coordinator at LLCC and was a member of the department's Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) for many years.
Prior to his time in Corrections, Jordan had a lengthy career in retail management. He managed several stores, becoming a district manager and a regional manager developing stores in three states. Jordan is also a combat veteran paratrooper with the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division.
Jordan is the recipient of the 2019 Warden of the Year award, an annual honor that is bestowed on a warden who exhibits outstanding job performance and leadership ability.
Hart is a 25-year veteran of the Department of Corrections. She began her career as a correctional officer at WKCC. Prior to being named the first female warden of KSP in June 2018, she served as warden at Green River Correctional Complex and deputy warden at WKCC. A graduate of the Commissioner’s Executive Leadership Program, Hart has been an active member of the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency (KCCD) since 2000, and has served three terms as a chapter president and 13 terms as secretary for the KCCD board of directors. Additionally, she is a four-time recipient of KCCD’s Mary Frances Cooper Award and she holds the office of state representative with the Southern States Correctional Association.