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New warden picked for Lansing Correctional Facility

By Staff | Jul 24, 2023

The exterior of the Lansing Correctional Center is seen Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in Lansing, Kan.

Jesse Howes has been selected as the new warden of Lansing Correctional Facility, Kansas Secretary of Corrections Jeff Zmuda announced Monday.

Howes will begin his new role as warden on Aug. 7.

He began his Kansas Department of Corrections career in 2006 as a lead case manager in the reentry program in Sedgwick County, moving on to the position of parole supervisor in 2008, where he led a team of parole officers supervising high-risk gang members and parolees with severe and persistent mental illness. In 2017, he was promoted to the deputy warden position overseeing all facets of operations at the Wichita Work Release Facility, transferring in June of 2022 to the El Dorado Correctional Facility to serve as the deputy warden of programs overseeing restrictive housing, release, and reentry services, health care and programming for residents.

“Jesse is a servant leader and is respected by staff for his approachability and willingness to listen to their concerns and initiate appropriate action,” Secretary of Corrections Jeff Zmuda said.

Deputy Secretary of Facility Management Gloria Neither also discussed Howes’ hiring.

“His efforts promote a positive culture where both staff and residents are treated with dignity and respect, creating the most positive environment possible for all concerned.” Geither said. “Howes can be counted on to make decisions in line with best practices and with an eye toward enhancing security and safety in a correctional setting. In the past year at El Dorado, Howes has played a key role in creating an environment and processes to help change the culture and operational practices there.”

Howes has a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Newman University and earned a Master’s in business law from Friends University.

The Lansing Correctional Facility, formerly the Kansas State Penitentiary, opened in 1867 during the presidency of Andrew Johnson and is the oldest and largest state correctional facility in Kansas. A new facility on the same site was opened in March 2020. Serving only males, the facility includes 1,920 beds in its maximum and medium units and 512 beds in the minimum unit.