The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Ronnie “Lane” Huneycutt as warden at the Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution in Spruce Pine. Huneycutt, 50, had been the associate warden at Caldwell Correctional Center in Lenoir since 2015.
“Warden Huneycutt is a terrific addition to our team of wardens,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “He is a professional with more than 20 years of experience, in-depth knowledge of prison operations, and he has excellent organizational skills and leadership qualities.”
In his new position, Huneycutt is responsible for all operations at Avery-Mitchell CI, a male medium custody facility located on 100 acres along the Avery and Mitchell county line.
Offenders work in the prison's kitchen, clothes house, maintenance and janitorial positions, and they participate in educational and vocational training offered through Mayland Community College.
A veteran employee to state government, Huneycutt began his career as a correctional officer at Caldwell Correctional Center in 1996. In 2003, he was promoted to sergeant and transferred to Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville, where he was promoted to lieutenant in 2010 and captain in 2012. Three years later, he was named the associate warden at Caldwell CC.
“I aspire to assist a great group of employees who already work in a family-oriented environment, so we can together operate the prison to its fullest potential,’’ Huneycutt said. “I want to train our new leaders for tomorrow and to provide a safe, secure environment for rehabilitative efforts for the offenders in our care.”
Huneycutt is a veteran who served honorably in the United States Marine Corps. He graduated from Lake Weir High School in Candler, Florida.
He graduated from DPS PEAK performance leadership and management training, and earned intermediate and advance criminal justice certifications from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.
During his career, he has served as a mentor, a squad leader of the Prison Emergency Response Team, Prison Rape Elimination Act compliance manager, facility intelligence officer, security risk group captain, safety representative, and a security audit team leader.
His enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and restoring classic cars.
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