Kentucky: Justice & Public Safety Cabinet

Commissioner John D. Rees John D. Rees began his career in Corrections as a caseworker at the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange in 1969. Three years later, he was promoted to the position of director of the Division of Special Institutions with the former Kentucky Bureau of Corrections. He served in several capacities within the Kentucky Corrections system until 1976 when he left the state to work for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. He returned to Kentucky four years later to be warden at KSR, a position he held until 1986.

From 1986 to 1998, he worked for Corrections Corporation of America, a private correctional management firm. He managed institutions in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee before becoming vice president of business development. He most recently has worked as a private consult providing services for corrections and criminal justice administration.

A native of Ft. Mitchell, Ky., Rees received his bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from the University of Kentucky and his master’s degree in criminology and correctional administration from Florida State University.

Rees has maintained professional memberships with state and national correctional associations and in 2003, was named a Certified Corrections Executive by the American Correctional Association.

He is married to Sue Nofsinger Rees and the couple has two adult sons, Brennan and Christopher.