Kevin Kempf 
Executive Director

Kempf began his career in 1995 as a correctional officer for the Idaho Department of Corrections.  He went on to serve in various positions, including parole officer, investigator, probation and parole section supervisor, community corrections district manager, warden of the Idaho Correctional institution-Orofino, chief of prisons, and deputy director. The Idaho Board of Correction appointed Kempf as director of the department in December 2014.

As director, Kempf was responsible for all of IDOC's operations, including its 10 prisons, four community re-entry centers,and each of the state’s regional probation and parole districts. 

Under Kempf's leadership, the Department of Correction experienced reform in almost every area. Projects like Justice Reinvestment, Justice Program Assessment and Restrictive Housing Reform continue to have many positive effects on the system and elevated IDOC as one of the best corrections agencies in the country.

In 2006, Kempf was appointed to the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. The commission is the national organization that oversees the transfer and relocation of felony offenders across state lines. During Kempf's six years as Idaho's representative, his peers twice elected him to leadership positions. He first served as treasurer and later as vice president of the national organization.

Kempf was an active member of the Correctional Leaders Association (CLA). Kempf served as Chairman of the Program and Training Committee and Treasurer of the Western States CLA.

In December 2016, Kempf was chosen as the Executive Director of the Correctional Leaders Association (CLA). CLA members are the CEOs of Corrections for the United States and lead over 400,000 correctional professionals and 8 million incarcerated individuals and people under probation and parole supervision. Under Kempf’s leadership, CLA’s membership engagement is at all time levels. It has expanded its leadership involvement to the nation’s deputy directors, human resources directors, public information officers, and deputy attorney generals assigned to correctional systems.  CLA now has a “seat at the table” for anything corrections-related in Washington DC, and is largely considered one of the most influential law enforcement associations in the world. 

The Governor of the State of Idaho, C.L. Butch Otter, named December 16th "Kevin Kempf" day in Idaho for his tireless work and dedication to public safety.