The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Cynthia Thornton as the new Region Director for the Central Region with an office in Raleigh.
Thornton, 50, had been the facility administrator at Harnett Correctional Institution since 2013 where she was responsible for the overall operations at the facility, including offender custody, facility security, food service, medical, maintenance, educational services and other programs.
In her new position, Thornton provides oversight to the region’s 15 correctional institutions.
A veteran employee to state government, Thornton began her career as a program supervisor at Halifax Correctional Center in 1991.
Over the years, she worked as a program supervisor at Nash Correctional Institution and as a case analyst at Fountain Correctional Center for Women. She also was a program director at Wayne and Neuse Correctional Institutions. Thornton served as assistant superintendent for programs at Maury Correctional Institutions before returning to Neuse in 2008 to be the assistant superintendent for programs. She was promoted to superintendent of that facility in 2011.
Thornton holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Appalachian State University and graduated from the year-long Correctional Leadership Development Program. She was also certified as a criminal justice instructor by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards Commission.