Lynne Corry credits the Talent Development Program for getting her through URI, and was inspired by the support she received at every step along her URI journey. “Everyone deserves a second chance. I try to approach my work with no judgment and a healthy dose of humility,” she says.

Overseeing the “mini-city” that is the Women’s Prison, Corry ensures that inmates are treated humanely, that the facility is safe, and that the 130 staff under her leadership can go home safely to their families every night. “This is a 24-hour thankless business,” Corry points out. “No one has a parade for the Department of Corrections, but we are the backbone of public safety.”

Corry acknowledges that for many prisoners, she and her staff are “the most consistent thing in their lives—their families have cast them aside after addiction has taken them to a bad place.” She is determined to provide opportunities for prisoners to experience success while they are incarcerated, so they have a better shot at staying out when they are released. “It’s inevitable that they are going back to society. We have to create strong re-entry initiatives and programs.”

When Corry was asked early in 2014 to step into the deputy warden’s position, she was taken aback. “The DOC measures everything. We count inmates, number of violations filed, inmate breakdowns, and so much more. But integrity and loyalty to the department are not counted per se. Hard work, character, sense of humor —I didn’t think anyone had noticed those things. It is humbling to be recognized for what the DOC doesn’t usually measure.”