DES MOINES, IOWA (June 3, 2019) — Governor Kim Reynolds announced the appointment of Dr Beth Skinner to lead the Iowa Department of Corrections, effective today.
“Dr Beth Skinner brings a wealth of talent and expertise in reducing recidivism, aligning with my vision for a corrections system that rehabilitates offenders so they can find purpose and become productive members of society, ” said Gov Reynolds. “I look forward to Beth implementing new practices, training, and long-term planning so that redemption and second-chances can guide the department.”
Skinner replaces Dan Craig, who has been serving as Interim Director since December of 2018. He will be retiring in June after thirty-four years with the department.
“Dan Craig’s extensive tenure at the department ensured our correctional system remained one of the best in the nation. I want to thank him for his many years of service to the state of Iowa,” Reynolds added.
Dr Skinner served as the department’s Director of Risk Reduction, where she provided oversight to the department’s recidivism-reduction initiative, its research division, the training department, and the department’s continuous quality-improvement initiative. She started her career with Corrections as an intern working with probation in 2002, and in 2003 as a residential officer with the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in Coralville, IA. She went on to serve the Sixth District as a supervisor prior to her taking a position with the Council of State Governments Justice Center in 2012. Skinner returned to Iowa Corrections as the Statewide Recidivism Reduction Coordinator in 2015, and was appointed Director of Risk Reduction in 2017.
“I’m humbled to be selected for this position,” said Dr Skinner. “We benefit from having one of the strongest correctional systems in the country, and to have the opportunity to lead this department is the greatest honor I can imagine. I am confident that we’ll continue to lead the way in providing a safe and rehabilitative correctional system for the citizens of this state.”
Dr Skinner has a Bachelors in Psychology, a Masters in Social Work, and a PhD in Social Work, all from the University of Iowa. Dr Skinner and her wife, Katrina, live in Des Moines and are parents to three children.
