Jerry B. Adger, Director

Effective January 12, 2015, I assumed the Interim Director’s position at the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. I am honored and privileged to be given this opportunity to lead the third largest

law enforcement agency in the state.

I am committed to keeping the Department’s vision to be recognized nationally as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of offenders, a force for public safety, a leader in victim services and a responsible steward of public funds.

First, I am a consummate believer that the strength of this Department lies in its staff.
 
Second, we must remain focused on reentry strategies and rehabilitative efforts for all offenders.
 
Last, we will continue to educate and serve the citizens of South Carolina as we Prepare, Provide and Protect.

Respectfully,
Jerry B. Adger
Director

BIOGRAPHY

Jerry B. Adger, an Anderson County native, was appointed on January 12, 2015 as Director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.   After he was confirmed by the South Carolina Senate on March 26, 2015, Mr. Adger became the 9^th Cabinet appointee to the Department.

Mr. Adger has had a diverse background in the criminal justice arena.  His extensive career spans over 30 years, specializing in law enforcement tactics, program management, strategic planning, and achieving organizational goals.  He began his career with the Federal Bureau of Investigations as a Fingerprint Analyst.  At the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division he served 23 years working in several capacities, including Fingerprint Examiner and Fingerprint Instructor, Special Agent of Investigations, SWAT Team Member, Internal Affairs Investigator and Community Relations Liaison.  Mr. Adger went to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in December 1999 to direct the newly established Office of the Inspector General. He is South Carolina’s first nationally certified Inspector General, receiving his certification at the American University in Washington, D.C., through the Inspectors General Institute. 
 
In 2003, then DJJ Director William Byars appointed Mr. Adger to the position of Deputy Director, in which he served for eight years.  During his tenure, he gained a national reputation for his work transforming the treatment of young women at Willow Lane, a gender-responsive facility.  In 2011, he was appointed as Inspector General for the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Mr. Adger is an adjunct professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina.  He holds a Master of Criminal Justice Degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina.  He is a 2012 graduate of the Riley Institute at Furman University’s Diversity Leaders Initiative, a program that imparts deep knowledge and skills to effectively manage and lead increasingly diverse workers, clients and constituents.  He also is a 2006 graduate of the South Carolina Executive Institute.

In December 2016, Governor Nikki Haley awarded Director Adger the Order of the Palmetto.

Mr. Adger is married, has two sons and resides in Columbia.