Dover, DE – The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) today announced that Peter Nichols has been promoted to Deputy Warden of the Special Operations Group (SOG). This promotions fill the vacancy created by the promotion of then-Deputy Warden Christopher Kearney to SOG Warden last November. The promotion takes effect immediately.

“Deputy Warden Nichols has decades of experience and has demonstrated steady leadership in strengthening DOC’s safety and security backbone, which in turn allows us to effectively deliver treatment and programming to promote reentry success,” Bureau of Prisons Chief Robert May said. “In his new leadership position we will also rely on his extensive training and experience to support the important, and often unseen, work across our Special Operations Group to keep correctional employees, visitors and individuals under our supervision safe, to prevent dangerous and life-threatening contraband from entering out facilities, and to train and prepare for critical incidents and emergency response activities.”

Special Operations Group Deputy Warden Peter Nichols is a 28-year correctional leader who completed his Academy training and joined the DOC as a Correctional Officer in 1998. He served in a variety of security positions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center with responsibility for maintaining safety, security, and orderly operations in correctional facilities, earning promotions to Correctional Corporal in 2000 and Correctional Sergeant in 2004. In 2005 he was promoted to Correctional Lieutenant and transferred to the Court and Transportation Unit within the Special Operations Group (SOG). His dedication and leadership qualities further earned him promotion to Correctional Captain in 2016 with responsibility for statewide Court and Transportation Unit operations. Deputy Warden Nichols has served for over two decades as a Correctional Security Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and also as a CERT Team Leader, participating in and leading training and responses to critical incidents, hostage situations, high risk medical and out-of-state transports, escape responses, and large-scale facility shakedown operations. He has worked closely with the U.S. Marshals Service, Delaware State Police, and other local and federal law enforcement agencies. In 2024, Deputy Warden Nichols joined the SOG’s Central Intelligence Group, where he has supported CERT readiness and operations and served senior Department leadership by providing real-time intelligence, conducting sensitive investigations, and managing large-scale background checks for Departmental hiring initiatives. Deputy Warden Nichols has earned the prestigious FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award for successfully completing its Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute, and Executive Leadership Institute and has completed advanced training in supervision, leadership, command, and internal affairs investigations. He has received multiple Warden’s Awards and been recognized for decades of perfect attendance and consistent maintenance of specialized certifications and training.

The Special Operations Group within the Bureau of Prisons is a specialized unit that is responsible for DOC’s central intelligence operations, the Steven R. Floyd, Sr. Training Academy, Correctional Emergency Response Teams, Escapee Recovery Teams, K-9 Units, the Mobile Command Post and Court and Transportation Units.

A photo of Deputy Warden Nichols is attached.

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