March 16, 2004
KATHLEEN DENNEHY TABBED AS NEW CORRECTION COMMISSIONER
Governor praises her leadership and positive steps taken as interim head
Governor Mitt Romney today named Kathleen Dennehy the new Commissioner of the Department of Correction, making her the first woman to head the prison system in Massachusetts.
“Kathy Dennehy stepped into the acting commissioner’s role three months ago at a very difficult time in the department’s history. She’s doing such a great job running things that we decided to stop the search for a new commissioner and give her the job,” said Romney.
Widely respected as one of the nation’s top female corrections managers, Dennehy has worked at the Department of Correction for 27 years. In the wake of the August 2003 murder of inmate John Geoghan at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, she was named Acting Commissioner.
Dennehy immediately launched an aggressive plan to develop a culture that embraces change and is committed to continuous improvement, including putting in place new performance and accountability measures.
“Kathy has proven over the last 27 years that she is ready and able to begin the long arduous task of reforming the Department of Correction,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward Flynn. “These are exceptional times at the Department that require exceptional leadership. I am confident that with a firm and guiding hand, she will steer the department to its rightful place in the criminal justice system as a significant contributor to the state’s public safety. She has my complete support.”
Dennehy has been an advocate for change during her entire career, overseeing a number of programs designed to monitor and rehabilitate the state’s inmate population and receiving several accolades for her performance. Prior to being named Acting Commissioner, Dennehy served as Deputy Commissioner for six years.
“The cornerstone of my administration will be the establishment of a set of organizational core values to support the cultural change that is needed at the Department of Correction,” said Dennehy. “I am committed to facilitating a comprehensive and open review of the Department’s culture, philosophy and management practices. I am also committed to a system in which our ethical code of conduct is promoted and modeled from top to bottom and across all disciplines.”
In the months ahead, Dennehy will work closely with the Governor’s Commission on Correction Reform, chaired by former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, which was formed last year to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s correction system. She will use their findings as the basis for implementing more change within the Department of Correction.
Dennehy currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Correctional Association of Massachusetts and the Association of WomenExecutives in Corrections. She is also a faculty member at Curry College and a consultant to the National Institute of Corrections in Washington, D.C.
Dennehy holds a master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk University and a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College.
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