The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Stephen B. Waddell as the new warden of the Greene Correctional Institution in Greene County.

Waddell, 48, had been the deputy warden at Central Prison in Raleigh since 2014.

“Warden Waddell is a remarkable leader with decades of experience and a hands-on approach to managing a complex prison,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “He brings top-notch skills to his well-earned new position. He is an excellent addition to the team of outstanding professionals who run our prisons.”

In his new position, Waddell is responsible for all operations at Greene Correctional, a male minimum custody facility. The prison is a designated reentry facility, where a variety of programs and services are offered to assist offenders nearing their release dates to better transition back to their communities.

The prison also offers various rehabilitative programs that include Religious Services, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Think Smart, Community Volunteer, Strive Transition Program, Home Leaves, Community Volunteer Leaves, Work Release, Independent Studies, Cognitive Behavior Intervention, Father Accountability and an Offender Service Club.

Currently, approximately 100 active community volunteers offer their skills in various Rehabilitative/Religious services.

Lenoir Community College works with the facility to offer full-time and part-time classes for adult basic education and preparation for the General Education Development tests. 

When there isn’t a pandemic, the facility also provides offender labor for Department of Transportation road squads in Greene County. Offenders work on long-term labor contacts with local city, county and state governmental agencies, as well as work release jobs with private businesses. Offenders work on the Inmate Construction Program.

Greene Correctional offers long-term drug and alcohol treatment with a capacity of 64 offenders through the Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency Program.

The prison also is a medical support facility, with 96 beds identified for chronic care offender housing needs.

A veteran employee to state government, Waddell began his career as a correctional officer at Greene Correctional in 1994. He spent a year at Eastern Correctional before transferring to Central Prison as a correctional officer.

He was promoted to sergeant in 2001; to lieutenant in 2004; to captain in 2007; to associate warden for operations in 2013; and then to deputy warden in 2014.

“I look forward to working with the excellent staff at Greene Correctional and intend to fill a number of vacant positions,” Waddell said. “I’ll be looking for good men and women interested in a career protecting our communities and who can thrive under high standards while preparing offenders to be productive members of society when they are released.”

He is a graduate of East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

He also is a graduate of the Department of Public Safety Correctional Leadership Development Program. He holds an advanced certificate from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

Waddell served as a Department of Public Safety general instructor and an instructor in a number of specialty skills, including firearms, baton, cell extraction, pepper spray and security risk groups. He also served as a member of the Prisons Emergency Response Team for a decade.

He was named Correctional Investigator of the Year by the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association in 2010 and 2011.

He is an avid sport shooter whose hobbies include church activities and spending time with his family.