Kristen Keisel named as new warden of Central Utah Correctional Facility
Nov 27, 2023, 3:58 PM | Updated: Nov 28, 2023, 9:59 am

The Utah Department of Corrections has named Kristen Keisel as the new warden of the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Corrections has named Kristen Keisel as the new warden of the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
Keisel replaces Bart Mortensen, who has been named as warden of the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. With the promotion, Keisel became the first female prison warden of a full prison operation in the history of the UDC.
Keisel began her career with the UDC in 2006. She started out as a correctional officer at the facility in Gunnison. From there, she served as a correctional case manager in maximum security.
She was named the deputy warden at the CUCF two years ago. Before that, she also worked in the HOPE program and worked with country jails on correctional standards.
“Being part of UDC has given me the opportunity and ability to serve in different capacities,” Keisel said in a news release. “But my goal has been the same along the way – to positively impact the life of every person I encounter.”
UDC Executive Director Brian Redd is looking forward to seeing Keisel in her new position.
“Being the warden is a challenging job and we’re excited to see Keisel in this role,” Redd said in a news release. “She will be balancing management of the inmate population, staffing, and the facility itself.”
The CUCF opened in Gunnison in 1989. It can house up to 1,800 inmates and has roughly 500 employees.