On November 17, 2025, James Woods Jr. was formally introduced by County Administrator Lure Berry as the new Executive Director of the Henley Young Patton Juvenile Justice Center.
Woods Jr. is a native of Winona, Mississippi, and the son of James and Mary Woods of Leake County, Mississippi. Woods Jr. is a graduate of Velma Jackson High School, the University of Mississippi, and Belhaven University. He most recently served as Warden at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, Mississippi. Previously, he worked at the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility, which housed both juveniles and adults.
Woods said, “As Executive Director of the Henley Young Patton Center, I am responsible for the supervision of approximately 20-30 Correctional Officers and 10 Counselors, along with two Executive Assistants. The center currently houses 54 Juveniles with a capacity of 80.”…