Interim director appoint to Corrections Department

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt has appointed former Oklahoma Department of Corrections’ Chief of Operations Scott Crow as interim director of the state’s second-largest agency.

Crow has been with the agency since April 1996, when he was hired as a Special Investigator Supervisor.

Before ODOC, he worked in law enforcement in southwest Oklahoma, from officer-level up to leadership, including as a captain with the Comanche County Sheriff’s Department and Assistant Police Chief for the City of Cache.

Crow’s appointment comes after former-Director Joe M. Allbaugh announced his immediate resignation Wednesday during the monthly meeting of ODOC’s volunteer governing board, the Oklahoma Board of Corrections.

“I appreciate Joe Allbaugh’s time serving the state of Oklahoma and building a team of talented employees,” Stitt said. “After learning of Allbaugh’s resignation, I immediately brought in Scott Crow to meet with me and to hear about his vision and passion for this important agency. Scott is the right person to step in as interim. Crow is committed to ensuring stability in leadership change and helping our administration map out a plan to build upon our recent success to increase correctional officers’ wages.”

While the search for Allbaugh’s replacement takes place, Crow will lead the agency’s more than 4,300 employees working in its 24 facilities stretched across Oklahoma, as well as Probation and Parole Services and Community Corrections.

“This agency remains in a position of strength due to its high-caliber of leaders and dedicated employees committed to public safety,” Crow said.

As of Thursday morning, the system was home to 26,145 inmates, with 32,383 under community supervision and 730 in county jails awaiting housing in prison.