Biography

Carole Dwyer began her career in 1990 as a Correctional Officer at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections and three years later transferred into the position of a Home Confinement Counselor in Community Corrections. She quickly rose through the ranks and in 1995 was selected to serve as the first female Deputy Warden in the State of Rhode Island of a male facility. She was appointed Warden of Women’s Facilities in 2001. In November 2009, Ms. Dwyer achieved another one of her career goals when she was also assigned to oversee Minimum Security as the first female Warden of a male facility in 2009. Warden Dwyer was Warden of the Women’s Facility for seventeen (17) years, Warden of Minimum Security for four (4) years and Warden of the Intake Service Center for three (3) years. Ms. Dwyer retired in September 2025 after serving thirty-five (35) years at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

Ms. Dwyer is a recognized authority on Trauma Informed Care, the Medication Assistance Program (MAT) and is a contract trainer for the National Institute of Corrections on Correctional Leadership for Women and Operational Practices in the Management of Women’s Prisons. As a result of her commitment to providing gender responsive practices, NIC tapped her to assist in the development of its Gender-Informed Assessment Tool which provides female correctional facilities with recommendations for implementing and advancing their gender-informed, evidence-based practices for female offenders.

Ms. Dwyer is a part-time Adjunct Professor at the University of Rhode Island

To assist in leadership development, Ms. Dwyer is a certified practitioner of the Myers & Briggs Type Indicator as well as the ABLE (Assessment of Basic Leader Effectiveness).

Ms. Dwyer holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Ms. Dwyer is married, has two adult daughters and six grandchildren.

For leisure and recreation, she is a certified high school field hockey and basketball referee.