SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 4, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The Department of Corrections executive director Rollin Cook announced he has appointed a new director of the Division of Adult Probation and Parole, effective immediately.
On Friday, James Hudspeth, acting interim director for AP&P, was officially appointed to the position. A number of other key department leaders also were appointed.
In addition to Hudspeth, Glenn Ercanbrack was named the new regional administrator for Adult Probation and Parole for region three. Jeremy Sharp is the new chief of the department’s Law Enforcement Bureau, and James Chipp is the new director of the department’s Inmate Placement Program.
The change in leadership comes three weeks after the resignation of Geri Miller-Fox, the former director of AP&P, and of Wendy Horlacher, who served as regional administrator for region three, on February 11.
AP&P first came under fire after two violent felons walked away from the Fortitude Treatment Center halfway house in one month.
One of those men, Cory Lee Henderson, fatally shot Unified Police Department officer Doug Barney on Jan. 17 after Barney responded to a traffic accident.
It was later determined that a series of system errors may have led to an early parole for Henderson, who was shot and killed during the same incident.
The second man to walk away, Thomas Burnham, 29, left the center on Jan. 28 to get medical treatment, and failed to show up at University Medical Center.
He evaded capture by fleeing on foot through a gated community, but was later arrested by American Fork Police on Feb. 15 as he was allegedly stealing camping equipment from utility trailers parked at an LDS Church.
“James Hudspeth has worked tirelessly over the past month to strengthen our connections with outside fugitive task forces, while also overseeing efforts of our own Fugitive Response Team, meeting with employees in our regional offices and members of the Glendale community, where Fortitude is located,” Cook said.
“His work ethic and leadership ability has proven to be off-the-charts throughout his career with the department.”
Hudspeth, who served 10 years with the U.S. Marine Corps, started his career in law enforcement in 1992 with the Honolulu Police Department.
Since joining the Utah Department of Corrections in 1997, Hudspeth has held positions as chief of the department’s Law Enforcement Bureau, administrator for AP&P’s region three and four, agent for Adult Probation and Parole, investigator and investigations supervisor, and corrections officer.
