Idaho prison director resigns to take new job

BOISE — Kevin Kempf has announced his resignation as director of the Idaho Department of Correction to become executive director of the Association of State Correctional Administrators.

In that role, Kempf will work to advance the common objectives of the association’s members. Those objectives include public safety, secure and orderly facilities and professionalism.

The Idaho Board of Correction appointed Kempf director two years ago. During that time, Kempf has reduced IDOC’s use of restrictive housing, overhauled its treatment programs and sought to make the department more transparent and accountable.

Kempf joined the Idaho Department of Correction in 1995 as a correctional officer and went on to serve in a variety of positions including parole officer, investigator, section supervisor, district manager of probation and parole, warden, chief of probation and parole, chief of prisons and deputy director. The Idaho Board of Correction appointed Kempf director of the department on Dec. 4, 2014.

ASCA’s membership consists of persons who are appointed to serve on a full-time basis to be directly responsible for the administration of the correctional facilities or correctional system of a jurisdiction. These persons include heads of state corrections agencies, Los Angeles County, heads of Cook County (Chicago), the District of Columbia, New York City, Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, The Correctional Service of Canada, each province of Canada, and any United States territory, possession, and/or commonwealth.

Kempf’s resignation is effective Dec. 16, 2016. The Idaho Board of Correction will meet on Wednesday to discuss who will succeed Kempf.