OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Board of Corrections is expected to pick a temporary head of the state's prison system while it searches for a fulltime replacement for longtime Director Justin Jones, who is stepping down.
The Board is scheduled to go into a closed session during its regular meeting Friday at the women's prison in McLoud for the purpose of selecting an interim director.
A 36-year veteran of the Oklahoma prison system, Jones announced his resignation last month after highly publicized clashes with the governor's office and legislative leaders over the growing use of private prisons to house state inmates.
New Board Chairman Kevin Gross said last month the panel likely will consider one of the "internal senior management people" as interim director after Jones steps down on Aug. 18.