Dover – Commissioner Robert Coupe today announced the appointment of Christopher Klein as Chief of the Bureau of Prisons for the Delaware Department of Correction (DOC). The Chief directs DOC’s largest Bureau, which is responsible for supervising nearly 6,000 adults serving a sentence or awaiting adjudication at Delaware’s four prison facilities. Klein replaces Perry Phelps, who was named Deputy Commissioner in January.
“Chris Klein is a consummate professional and able leader who has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues and our senior leadership through 18 years of dedicated service to the Department of Correction,” Commissioner Coupe said today. “I am grateful that he will continue to serve our Department in his new role as Bureau Chief and I look forward to working side-by-side with him to build upon our strengths and implement innovative ideas to advance our mission and protect the public.”
Since September, 2011 Klein has served as Deputy Chief of the Department’s Bureau of Prisons, assisting in overseeing the State’s prison facilities, Special Operations, Food Services, Facilities Maintenance, Correctional Industries, and Prison Education. As Deputy Bureau Chief, Klein also leads the agency’s efforts to secure accreditation with the American Correctional Association by overseeing development and revision of policies, procedures and practices.
Klein began his career at DOC in 1997 as a Correctional Officer Food Service Specialist at Sussex Correctional Institution, earning promotions to Correctional Officer Food Service Supervisor in Kent County, Correctional Officer Food Service Director in Sussex County, and Correctional Officer Food Service Director in Kent County. In June, 2008 he was promoted to Deputy Warden at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, the State’s largest prison facility with more than 2,500 inmates, where he directed facility and security operations and coordinated budget administration, inspections, and compliance, before being named Deputy Prisons Chief in 2011.
Chief Klein earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Wilmington University and is recognized as a Certified Corrections Executive (CCE) by the American Correctional Association. He has served on a number of DOC and state committees, and has received numerous awards and citations, including Bureau of Prisons Commendation (2011), Warden’s Award (2010), Governor’s Team Excellence Award Nomination (2010), and the DOC Meritorious Unit Citation (2007) and Meritorious Service Award (2006).
Klein’s appointment is effective March 22, 2015.
Christopher Klein
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