History has recently been made in the Louisiana State Penitentiary as Rochelle Ambeau has now been made the first Black woman to hold a position there as a deputy warden. According to sources like WAFB, Ambeau is the third Black woman to serve as a deputy warden in the state's Department of Corrections, but the first at this particular facility.
The previously mentioned article quotes Ken Pastorick, spokesman for the DoC, for stating, "Rochelle is a highly-qualified individual who brings decades of corrections experience to her new position...She has risen through the ranks, serving as the agency’s first Corrections Transition Specialist in 2005, and was promoted in 2014 to Deputy Assistant Secretary in Reentry."
According to Black Enterprise, Ambeau's promotion follows the creation of the DEI (Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). The reason for such a task, made by Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc, is to increase diversity in the workforce throughout all ranks and positions.
Ambeau expresses her excitement and appreciation for the opportunity by commenting, "The Deputy Warden’s position is an exciting and challenging continuum of my 27-year career in public service. This is an opportunity to showcase the betterment of our governmental systems when members of various and diverse communities are represented in leadership and management positions." With this point of view, many hope to see positive changes in the large penitentiary as her career grows.
