HOLDEN - Located on Gaston Caperton Drive off Corridor G, the Southwestern Regional Jail, along with the Earl Ray Tomblin Industrial Park, is built on reclaimed mine land. The jail was the sixth of ten regional jails to be built in the State of West Virginia and can house more than 300 inmates.

Although most people think of them "wardens," today's jails are headed up by Administrators who oversee the day-to-day operations of the jail. Along with the distinction of being built on reclaimed mine land, the Southwestern Regional Jail can also boast that it has the first woman ever appointed to the position of Administrator in West Virginia's regional jail system.

Vicki Greene is a native of Fayetteville. She began her career in the correctional system as a guard at the Fayette County Jail.

"I started working at the Fayette County Jail in 1986. I worked there for eight and one-half years when they closed," Greene said. "They opened up the Southern Regional Jail in Beckley so I went there in June of '94 as a Sergeant."

In 1999, Greene was appointed First Sergeant at the Southern Regional Jail. In May 2003, Greene was the first woman appointed Lieutenant in the State, serving at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville. She was appointed to the position of Administrator of the Southwestern Regional Jail in November 2007.

Greene said that woman guards are needed in the system, since there are female inmates.

"You need to have females there to be able to handle the female inmates," Greene said. "It's a good start. When I started at the Fayette County Jail, there weren't a lot of female inmates, but there were some. We always need more female employees because there are more and more female inmates now."

Greene said a guard has to be firm, fair and consistent with the inmates.

"I try to be firm with everyone and fair with everyone. If you are consistent, they know what to expect," Greene said. "Either with the employees or the inmates