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New warden takes over at Marlin's Hobby Unit
By Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer
The Marlin Democrat
October 06, 2004
Behind the chain link fence of the William P Hobby Unit on the edge of Marlin, a new warden keeps things running smoothly and efficiently.
Lavetta Knox began her new position as warden of the Hobby Unit effective Sept. 1.
"So far the Marlin area is good," Knox said. "I'm glad to be here."
Knox comes to Marlin from Brownwood where she was Assistant Warden. It was just one of many positions she's held in her 22 yearlong career in the justice system.
"My mother got on with TDC," Knox said. "I was trying to be a nurse like my mother, but it really wasn't playing out that way."
In a lapse in her schooling, she put in her application with TDC and began to realize that nursing wasn't for her.
"I started thinking that I was going to live in Gatesville all my life, that the money is good and the benefits, so I put in my application and they called me up," Knox said. "I never planned on all the moving, but I did it."
Knox began her career in Gatesville as a Correctional Officer in the Gatesville Unit in1982, and she soon moved up to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain in the Mountain View Unit. In 1993, she became Major of Correction Officers in the Region II Training for Palestine/Gatesville Area. A year later she moved to Beeville and became Program Administrator.
"[The TCDCJ] has been very good to me," Knox said. "I always wanted to be an assistant warden, I never wanted to be a warden, but once I got to assistant warden I decided to not stop there."
Knox became Assistant Warden in 1999 in Dayton, Tex. She held that position in Austin and Brownwood before becoming Warden of the Hobby Unit.
"We have a full year ahead of us," Knox said. "We are about to start our ACA. That's American Correctional Association accreditation. We are going to busy with that until September '05."
The ACA requires correction facilities to meet certain standards. A committee comes into the unit after a set amount of time and judges those standards, which include cleanliness and written policy and procedures.
The unit had started to work towards accreditation before, but due to budget constraints Hobby Unit was taken off the list at that time.
Knox holds an Associates of Criminal Justice degree from Central Texas College and a Bachelors of Science in Behavioral Science from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.
Her husband, Jimmy, lives in Gatesville and works for TTG Utilities. He serves on the city council.
The couple has two daughters. Jennifer, 21, is an office manager at Oshmans and goes to school part time pursuing a degree in business, and Jasmine, 18, attends Texas Tech full time as a dental major.
By Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer
The Marlin Democrat
October 06, 2004
Behind the chain link fence of the William P Hobby Unit on the edge of Marlin, a new warden keeps things running smoothly and efficiently.
Lavetta Knox began her new position as warden of the Hobby Unit effective Sept. 1.
"So far the Marlin area is good," Knox said. "I'm glad to be here."
Knox comes to Marlin from Brownwood where she was Assistant Warden. It was just one of many positions she's held in her 22 yearlong career in the justice system.
"My mother got on with TDC," Knox said. "I was trying to be a nurse like my mother, but it really wasn't playing out that way."
In a lapse in her schooling, she put in her application with TDC and began to realize that nursing wasn't for her.
"I started thinking that I was going to live in Gatesville all my life, that the money is good and the benefits, so I put in my application and they called me up," Knox said. "I never planned on all the moving, but I did it."
Knox began her career in Gatesville as a Correctional Officer in the Gatesville Unit in1982, and she soon moved up to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain in the Mountain View Unit. In 1993, she became Major of Correction Officers in the Region II Training for Palestine/Gatesville Area. A year later she moved to Beeville and became Program Administrator.
"[The TCDCJ] has been very good to me," Knox said. "I always wanted to be an assistant warden, I never wanted to be a warden, but once I got to assistant warden I decided to not stop there."
Knox became Assistant Warden in 1999 in Dayton, Tex. She held that position in Austin and Brownwood before becoming Warden of the Hobby Unit.
"We have a full year ahead of us," Knox said. "We are about to start our ACA. That's American Correctional Association accreditation. We are going to busy with that until September '05."
The ACA requires correction facilities to meet certain standards. A committee comes into the unit after a set amount of time and judges those standards, which include cleanliness and written policy and procedures.
The unit had started to work towards accreditation before, but due to budget constraints Hobby Unit was taken off the list at that time.
Knox holds an Associates of Criminal Justice degree from Central Texas College and a Bachelors of Science in Behavioral Science from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.
Her husband, Jimmy, lives in Gatesville and works for TTG Utilities. He serves on the city council.
The couple has two daughters. Jennifer, 21, is an office manager at Oshmans and goes to school part time pursuing a degree in business, and Jasmine, 18, attends Texas Tech full time as a dental major.
