CCJ Directory

Stirling was confirmed as the Director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections by the South Carolina Senate on February 19, 2014. Stirling supervises a staff of 5,000 and is also responsible for roughly 15,500 inmates currently serving time in one of the 21 penal institutions across the state. Under Stirling’s leadership, the agency has closed six institutions, and the inmate population has declined due to a reduction in recidivism rates, sentencing reform, and successful programs and services within the institutions. Also during his tenure, Stirling has settled a decade-old mental health lawsuit that plagued the agency and its leadership. He has been recognized for his passion and dedication to improving public safety as well as making each institution a safe, secure, and productive environment where incarcerated people are given the skills and resources they need for a future that extends far beyond their prison cell.

In 2016, Stirling received the Stephen G. Morris Nelson Mullins Social Justice Award from the Columbia Urban League and the William D. Leeke Award of Excellence. Prior to joining the correctional system, he served as Deputy Attorney General for nearly six years. Most recently, he served Governor Nikki Haley as her Chief of Staff from October 2012 to September 2013, during which he oversaw management of the governor’s cabinet and the Office of Executive Policy and Programs. Stirling graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1991 and USC’s School of Law in 1996.