The Division of Prisons has announced the appointment of John Coleman as the director of Correction Enterprises. Coleman is a 29-year veteran of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and has been the chief of Ohio Penal Industries since 2018.
Coleman replaces Robert Leon, who retired on March 1. Deputy Director Dr. Anthony Vann has been interim director.
“I want to welcome John to the North Carolina correctional family,” said Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee. “He brings a wealth of leadership experience in all aspects of corrections. And I want to thank Dr. Vann for stepping forward and directing Correction Enterprises during this difficult time.”
Coleman began his correctional career in 1991 as a correctional officer at Mansfield Correctional Institution. During his tenure, he served as case manager, unit manager, chief of security, deputy warden, and warden at two institutions before moving to Ohio Penal Industries.
Coleman holds a master’s degree in business administration from Ashland University and a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt and has received certification as a Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute. Currently, he serves as certified auditor for the American Correctional Association.
Coleman served in the United States Marine Corps and the Ohio Army National Guard.
Correction Enterprises has 30 manufacturing plants utilizing offender labor in 17 different businesses. Correction Enterprises provides offenders with opportunities to learn job skills by producing goods and services for the Department of Public Safety and other tax-supported entities.
CE employs 385 staff and approximately 2,600 offenders. Correction Enterprises’ products and services are diverse, including textiles and embroidery, furniture, farming, canning and meat processing, printing, framing, janitorial supplies, highway signage, metal fabrication, upholstery services, braille transcription, commercial laundry and distribution services. Correction Enterprises is one of the largest prison industries organizations in the United States.
###