TULSA, Okla. -- Due to the nature of the corrections industry, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections works with many policies, rules, laws, and an array of other directives, governing everything from how often we count inmates to how we must manage pregnant inmates.
Managing and updating the policies of a modern prison system requires a special individual – someone with literally encyclopedic knowledge and a meticulous approach to understand every detail and how each detail affects service delivery. Penny Lewis is the epitome of this individual.
Penny began her career with ODOC in September 1989 at Eddie Warrior Correctional Center as a correctional officer. Since then, she has held positions in a variety of institutions, as well as private prisons, Probation and Parole, regional and division offices, personnel, finance, and procedures and accreditation.
For Auditing and Compliance, Penny is responsible for the internal operational and medical audit process for private prisons, state prisons, community centers, and Probation and Parole, as well as the state’s accreditation process and the Policy and Procedures Unit. She also oversees the Environmental Health Services, food service operations and internal financial audits.
When she began overseeing Auditing and Compliance, policies were appallingly out of date with no formal process for review. Today, the system runs smoothly and policies are routinely reviewed and revised as needed. Penny’s distinctive abilities are also well known outside the agency, as the American Correctional Association routinely calls upon her for her expertise in auditing.
With this prestigious award, Director Crow hereby recognizes Penny Lewis’ exceptional work ethic, skills and dedication to the agency and the state of Oklahoma.
