Secretary of Adult Correction Todd Ishee has named Nicole Spruell to be the new warden of Richmond Correctional Institution.
Spruell previously served as special projects manager for the Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry.
“Warden Spruell brings 21 years of experience as a correctional professional and a leader to this position,” Ishee said. “She has hands-on experience in institutional security and operations and in the reentry aspects of corrections. I have no doubt she will be an outstanding warden for Richmond Correctional Institution."
In her new position, Spruell is responsible for all operations at the male, medium- and minimum-custody facility that houses approximately 400 offenders. Rehabilitative educational programming available to Richmond offenders includes high school equivalency classes and vocational courses through Richmond Community College in brick masonry, electric service, industrial maintenance, upholstery and cooking.
Spruell began her career in 2003 as a correctional officer at Scotland Correctional Institution, where she assisted special operations as a visitation officer and backup armory officer. She was named N.C. prisons' Correctional Officer of the Year in 2004 for her work implementing the Visitor Tracking System at Scotland.
She advanced to correctional case manager at Scotland in 2005, acquiring transfer coordination and classification responsibilities. In 2010, she was promoted to assistant unit manager of Scotland's medium-custody and restrictive housing units.
In 2017 Spruell earned a promotion and transfer to Hoke Correctional Institution, where she served as associate warden of programs. Upon Hoke's suspension of operations in 2019, she served as acting associate warden of programs for Richmond Correctional. She joined Rehabilitative Services to work with the MAPP program, and in 2021 she was named programs director for the South Central Region.
Rejoining the Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry in 2023 as special projects manager, she oversaw the State Reentry Council Collaborative, the Medication Assisted Treatment pilots at Orange Correctional and N.C. Correctional Institution for Women, reentry simulation events and the state Joint Reentry Council as part of the multistate REENTRY 2030 initiative.
Spruell graduated from UNC-Pembroke in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a minor in social welfare. She holds Advanced Criminal Justice Certification from the N.C. Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission. She has graduated from First Steps to Supervision and the Peak Performance programs, and she is a current participant in the DAC Correctional Leadership Development Program. She has served as N.C.'s representative to the Southern States Correctional Association.
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