Ivy Tech Madison names Amber Finnegan State Director of Correctional Education

She will begin this role March 15th

Ivy Tech Community College of Madison is pleased to announce that Amber Finnegan has been appointed as the State Director of Correctional Education, as part of the educational partnership with the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC). Finnegan, who has been the Executive Director of the Jefferson County Court Services department since 2010, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from within the social services and criminal justice systems.

As the State Director of Correctional Education, Finnegan will oversee Ivy Tech’s IDOC contracts, provide leadership for educational programs, research and develop new program possibilities, and support students’ re-entry aspirations. She will begin her service on March 15.

“Amber is a well-known and respected leader, both locally and statewide, having just recently unified Jefferson County’s Court Services Department to encompass Community Corrections, Drug Court, the Jefferson County Adult Treatment Train, Prosecutor Diversion Program, Pretrial Services Department and Adult Probation,” says Ivy Tech Madison Chancellor Molly Dodge. “For many years, I have been impressed with her motivation, drive, and follow-through. She is a consistent problem-solver who is uniquely skilled at prioritizing and managing projects with proficiency. I am so pleased she is willing to work for Ivy Tech in service to the IDOC.”

Ivy Tech has a 4-year contract to provide adult education services that began July 1, 2021, and a 3-year contract to provide vocational programs that began January 1, 2022. Through these contracts Ivy Tech will serve at least 3,500 incarcerated students annually, providing opportunities for these students to improve their educational skills, earn their high school equivalency diploma or earn a nationally recognized, portable short-term certification in a high-demand industry. Managed out of the Ivy Tech Madison campus, the services delivered will be aligned to the guidelines and requirements of the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

“I feel honored to be selected for this position with Ivy Tech,” says Finnegan. “I have been very blessed over the past 12 years with a great team who has helped me develop a comprehensive evidence-based agency that serves justice-involved individuals from arrest to release from prison. The current criminal justice stakeholders are committed to making this community a safe place to live, and I will always be grateful for their partnership and leadership. I am looking forward to this opportunity to serve our community and the state of Indiana in this new capacity.” 

Finnegan holds a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. She also spent ten years as a probation officer in the Bartholomew County Court Services before joining Jefferson County Court Services.

In 2021, Finnegan was elected as president of the Indiana Association of Community Correction Act Counties (IACCAC), where she has served as a member since 2003. Locally, she volunteers as a member of the Healthy Communities Substance Abuse Committee at King's Daughter's Health and on the Executive Board of Resilience Jefferson County. Finnegan is a 2019 Leadership Jefferson County graduate.