Atencio named Idaho’s new state prisons chief
Henry Atencio, the current deputy director, has been named the new director of Idaho’s state prison system, succeeding Kevin Kempf, who will depart Dec. 16 to head the Association of State Correctional Administrators. Atencio, a 26-year veteran of the department, will be the first Hispanic to head Idaho’s prison system; the state’s prison population is nearly 16 percent Hispanic.
“As a board, we were lucky because the department’s leadership team is packed with outstanding leaders,” said Debbie Field, chair of the Idaho Board of Correction. “Ultimately, we decided Henry is the best choice because of his thorough knowledge of the department and his vision for the future.”
Atencio said, “Over the past two years, the Idaho Department of Correction has emerged as a national leader in the field of corrections. I’m eager to build on that momentum by focusing on public safety while giving offenders meaningful opportunities to turn their lives around.”
As deputy director, Atencio already has been overseeing day-to-day operations of the Idaho Department of Correction and led the department’s efforts to implement the Justice Reinvestment initiative, which focuses on increasing supervision of the most dangerous offenders while diverting non-violent offenders to community treatment programs. The Idaho Legislature launched the initiative in 2014; it’s a joint effort of all three branches of Idaho’s state government.
Atencio started with the department as a probation and parole officer. He rose to positions including district manager of probation and parole, and deputy warden at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, the state’s second-largest prison, before becoming deputy director in December of 2014.
“Henry and I came up through the ranks together, and I know he’s more than ready for this challenge,” Kempf said in a statement. “I can say with confidence that Idaho’s correctional department will be in good hands.”
Atencio’s salary will be $145,000; Kempf, who started at $139,984 a year when he first became director in 2014, currently makes $150,000.
