Gov. Jim Pillen on Monday named Rob Jeffreys, a veteran leader of the Illinois correctional system, as the new director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.Â
Jeffreys has headed the Illinois agency since June 2019 and worked 24 years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction before that.Â
The new state prisons director comes to Nebraska with a record as a reformer.
Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker praised Jeffreys for "his work in reforming and redesigning services" in announcing his resignation as head of the state's prison system since 2019.
During his time in Illinois, he oversaw a continued reduction in the state's prison population, from about 38,000 when he took the role in 2019 to roughly 29,500 in 2023, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.
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At a news conference in Lincoln where Pillen announced the appointment, Jeffreys said he wants to "make sure we prepare people to be successful" when they leave prison, while noting that goal "adds to public safety."
That's one of the challenges the new prison director listed along with infrastructure and staffing.
Pillen said he chose Jeffreys after interviewing seven people; the new director will be paid an annual salary of $210,000. The previous director, Scott Frakes, earned $255,000.
"It's tough work," the governor said. "It's challenging."
Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former Lancaster County Attorney and former U.S. Attorney for Nebraska, said he is "impressed by the humanity" displayed by Jeffreys in his role of "being in charge of so many lives" while "seeking a better outcome" in terms of their future.
In a news release announcing Jeffreys' departure, Gov. Pritzker praised him for "ensuring the dignity and safety of the incarcerated people of Illinois."
"His work in reforming and redesigning services has given individuals in custody opportunities for advancement and improvement while also ensuring the highest level of security and care" for prison staff, Pritzker said.
Jeffreys said he expects the top challenges he faces here will be providing programming space while developing a workforce environment, fulfilling staffing needs and preparing inmates to be successful after they leave prison.
His decision to come to Nebraska was cemented by an interview with Pillen and Kelly during which Jeffreys said he became convinced that they were "genuinely invested in the humanity of human beings" and committed to their success.
Frakes retired as director of the Department of Correctional Services last October after heading the agency for more than seven years. He was succeeded by Diane Sabatka-Rine, who served as acting director.Â
The prison system has battled substantial overcrowding and high staff turnover, which has since been arrested by substantial salary increases.
There are more than 5,500 inmates in the state's prisons, compared to 29,500 in the Illinois system. In Nebraska, Jeffreys will oversee a department with about 2,300 employees and a $294 million annual budget.
The state currently stands at the doorstep of building a new state prison, the cost of which could exceed $350 million. The Legislature has allocated most of the funding in advance of a decision in the coming weeks on whether to proceed.