The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Stephen Jacobs as the new warden of the Lumberton Correctional Institution in Lumberton.
Jacobs, 52, had been the warden at the Columbus Correctional Institution in Whiteville since 2018.
“Warden Jacobs brings a diverse background gained from many years working in prisons,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “He is experienced, knowledgeable and has excellent leadership skills. He is a terrific addition to the great team in place in Lumberton.”
In his new position, Jacobs is responsible for all operations at the Lumberton Correctional Institution, which is a male medium custody facility where some offenders work on Department of Transportation road squads and perform maintenance and kitchen duties in the prison. The Robeson County Community College works with staff to provide classes for basic education skills, preparation for the high school equivalency test and vocational classes in electrical wiring, carpentry and heating, and air conditioning repair.
A veteran employee to state government, Jacobs began his career in 1993 as a correctional officer at the former Cabarrus Correctional Center.
In 1995, Jacobs became a case analyst at Craven Correctional Institution and was promoted two years later to senior case analyst at the facility. In 2007, he was tapped to be the director of the facility’s diagnostic center. He was named the assistant superintendent of programs at both Craven and Wayne Correctional Institutions in 2010.
He then served four years, from 2014 to 2018, as the Director of the Robeson Confinement in Response to Violation Center, which houses and provides intensive behavior modification programs for those who have committed technical violations of probation, parole or post-release supervision.
Jacobs earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, with a minor in English, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master’s in criminal justice from East Carolina University.
During his 26-year career, he graduated from the year-long Correctional Leadership Development Program as well as specialized training in Equal Employment Opportunities, Interaction Management and Cognitive Behavior Intervention. He also served as a training instructor in Cognitive Behavior Intervention.
He was born in Laurinburg and was raised in Raeford. His hobbies include hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities.