CCJ Directory

Dr. Beth Skinner was named the Director of the Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) in June 2019. Director Skinner started her career as an intern with the Sixth Judicial District, Department of Correctional Services in Coralville, Iowa in 2002. She eventually became a residential officer, a Certified Iowa Peace Officer on the High Risk Unit and Supervisor where she managed workforce development programs, mental health reentry, and development of new workforce and educational programs for offenders to improve reentry success.

Director Skinner took a position with the Council of State Governments Justice Center in 2012 where staying abreast of emerging trends within reentry was key. She had the opportunity to work with the White House, Department of Justice, corrections administrators, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers across the country on the best strategies to reduce recidivism.

In 2015, Director Skinner returned to Iowa as the Recidivism Reduction Coordinator for the IDOC focusing on coordination and facilitation of all five key components: workload, job competencies, reentry, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and training. She has served as the Executive Director of the Offender Reentry Task Force.

She has her M.S.W. and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Iowa, with an emphasis in criminology.