Executive Chief 

Jesse Montgomery | Executive Chief

Jesse Montgomery was named executive chief for the Illinois Department of Corrections on June 10, 2013. Prior to this position, Montgomery served as chief of Operations for the Illinois Department of Corrections since February 1, 2012. A veteran employee of IDOC, Montgomery joined the agency as a correctional officer at Joliet Correctional Center in 1990 and was promoted to correctional sergeant in 1996. He became an administrative assistant at Joliet Correctional Center in 1997 and later was promoted to acting unit superintendent there in 1999. Montgomery was named assistant warden for programs at Pontiac Correctional Center in 1999, assistant warden of operations at Stateville Correctional Center in February 2000 and superintendent of Illinois Youth Center-Joliet in July 2000. He was appointed as deputy director of District 2 in May 2003. He later was named deputy director of the Parole Division in November 2004 before being appointed chief of the Parole Division in May 2007. Before his most recent position, Montgomery served as acting deputy director of the Northern District since May 2011, overseeing the operations of the Northern District reception and classification center, correctional centers and adult transition centers.

Montgomery is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He holds an associate’s degree in applied science from Prairie State College and a bachelor's degree with a minor in criminal justice from Governors State University.