New Warden Named At State Penitentiary In McAlester

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections announced the appointment of Terry Royal as the new warden at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Wednesday.

Royal replaces Kevin Duckworth who has been serving as interim warden since May.   

According to the DOC, Terry Royal had been the warden at a Florida Department of Corrections prison in Clermont, before his move to the McAlester job.

State Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh says Royal's 25 years of experience and corrections background made him the perfect fit to take over as warden at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

“Terry Royal has successfully navigated the corrections ranks throughout his career, beginning as a correctional officer to overseeing entire state regions as an administrator,” Allbaugh said.

“He has been instrumental in the initial accreditation or the re-accreditation of six facilities by the American Correctional Association and has overseen facilities of every security level. When conducting a nationwide search to fill a position, you hope someone with Terry’s background applies.”

Royal's appointment is pending approval from the Oklahoma Board of Corrections, which has a meeting set for September.