MORGANTOWN, N.C. — Patricia Blackburn has been named warden of Foothillls Correctional Institution in Morganton, North Carolina.
With over 26 years of correctional experience Blackburn most recently served as warden of Lincoln Correctional Center.
“We are pleased to have someone of Warden Blackburn’s experience, leadership and institutional knowledge assuming this important role,” said Leslie Cooley Dismukes, Secretary for the Department of Adult Correction. “Her commitment to safety, security and offender rehabilitation, combined with more than two decades of correctional experience, will serve Foothills Correctional Institution well.”
Foothills Correctional Institution houses male offenders in close and minimum custody. The facility operates several specialized programs, including the Generations Empowered And Restored (GEAR) Program, a Therapeutic Diversion Unit (TDU), and serves as a diagnostic center for the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. The institution also includes an attached minimum custody unit that houses 248 offenders assigned to the Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency Program (ACDP) and work release.
Blackburn began her career with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction in 2000 as a correctional officer at Foothills Correctional Institution. In 2004, she was promoted to sergeant at Alexander Correctional Institution, where she advanced through the ranks and into unit management.
In 2009, Blackburn returned to Foothills Correctional Institution, assisting with operations in the Security Threat Group Management Unit and later Restrictive Housing. She joined the Disciplinary Services Section in 2014 as a disciplinary hearing officer and served in that role for seven years before being promoted to associate warden at Gaston Correctional Center. While serving at Gaston Correctional Center, Blackburn was recognized as the 2021 Manager of the Year.
In 2023, she was promoted to warden of Lincoln Correctional Center, where the facility earned the highest security audit score in the state in 2023 and 2024 and tied for the highest score statewide in 2025. She was also named the Western Region Warden of the Year in 2025.
With such a familiarity of Foothills Correctional, Blackburn brings extensive expertise in custody operations, offender management, staff development and institutional leadership. She is committed to fostering a safe, secure and professional environment while supporting programs that promote offender accountability and successful reentry.