CLEVELAND — The troubled Cuyahoga County Jail is getting a new leader.
On Monday, County Executive Armond Budish announced the appointment of Michelle Henry as Cuyahoga County Warden.
Henry comes to Cuyahoga County after most recently serving as Correction Warden Assistant I at the Lorain Correctional Institution. She conducted investigations, served as a liaison for outside law enforcement agencies, and conducted security inspections and surveillance.
“I am pleased that Michelle Henry will be joining our jail leadership team,” said Budish in a statement. “The team is very professional and focused on the health and safety of our inmates and staff and I know Henry will be a terrific addition.”
From 2008 to 2015, Henry served as Correction Specialist at the Lorain Correctional Institution. As Correction Specialist, she supervised inmate housing units, facilitated inmate programs, daily activities and safety and sanitation inspections. Prior to that, Henry served as Corrections Captain at the Lorain Correctional Institution. In this role, she was focused on prison management, security, scheduling, and evaluations and served as a correction lieutenant supervisor.
“Michelle brings 25 years of law enforcement and criminal justice experience to the Cuyahoga County Jail. Her background in prison management and employee supervision makes her highly qualified for this position,” said Ronda Gibson, Administrator of Corrections for the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department. “I am pleased to welcome her to the role of Cuyahoga County Warden, and I look forward to working with her.”
Henry will replace Gregory Croucher, who resigned in April after only eight months on the job. He cited personal reasons for his abrupt departure. Croucher had been hired to replace Eric Ivey, who pleaded guilty last year to charges of obstruction of justice and falsification.
Nine inmates have died at the Cuyahoga County Jail since the start of 2018. The facility has since found itself at the center of a massive scandal involving alleged corruption and mistreatment of inmates. A scathing report from the U.S. Marshals service was followed by a failed state inspection, and numerous lawsuits have been filed accusing operators of denying inmates medical assistance, forcing inmates to sleep on the floor, and even serving food with bugs in it.
