LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts thanked Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director (NDCS) Scott Frakes and State Fire Marshal Chris Cantrell for their excellent service to the State of Nebraska. 

NDCS Director Frakes has announced his resignation after having led the State’s corrections agency since 2015. 

 

“Scott has been a highly effective leader of our State Department of Corrections,” said Gov. Ricketts.  “He has moved forward major capital construction projects, dramatically grown our corrections workforce, and guided the agency through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.  His automation of the sentence calculation process is one of many data-driven improvements he has made to the department.  I appreciate Scott’s dedication to keeping Nebraskans safe, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.”

“It has been an honor to be a part of Governor Ricketts’ cabinet, and to serve the citizens of Nebraska,” said Director Frakes.  “Leading and working beside the 2,200 team members that make up NDCS has been an incredible experience—truly the high point of a 40-year corrections career.  I am proud of the many accomplishments the agency has achieved during my tenure.  Seeing those things come to fruition, to the benefit of staff members and our inmate population, has been enormously satisfying.”

Tasked with transforming Nebraska corrections, Director Frakes has made significant changes to the way the agency is run.  His accomplishments include:

  • Implementing an automated sentence calculation process while ensuring individuals complete the sentences to which they were ordered. 
  • Reforming restrictive housing policies and practices, making Nebraska a model for national standards.  
  • Enhancing capacity for clinical programming and evidence-based programs to reduce recidivism.
  • Growing the State’s corrections workforce through innovations like the Corrections Leadership Scholarship Program with Peru State College.
  • Combining the Lincoln Correctional Center (LCC) and the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC) into the Reception and Treatment Center (RTC) to create operational efficiencies, optimize space for programming activities, and improve security.

 NDCS Director Scott Frakes’ resignation is effective as of October 7, 2022.

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