Brent Reinke started his career in public service in 1997, spending a combined total of 11 years working as an elected official in city and county government.
From 1997-2014, for 18 years, he served as the Director of both the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections and the (adult felony) Idaho Department of Correction. He served under 4 governors, leading 2,200 staff. At the same time, he also worked with his family in a number of successful small businesses.
Brent Reinke currently serves as a Twin Falls County Commissioner in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Reinke states: "I have been blessed with a high level of energy and a passion for leadership, and to quote the author, John Maxwell, "developing the leaders around me."
During the period of time when Brent Reinke worked as the Director of Idaho Corrections, two men were executed: Paul Rhoades in 2011 and Richard Leavitt in 2012. Mr. Reinke witnessed both of these executions, as he helped to supervise the execution teams that were assembled to carry out both executions. On April 12, 2023, I met with him at the Office of the Commissioner in Twin Falls, Idaho to learn more about his experiences as a supervisor and witness of these two executions.
In the above video link, Brent Reinke and others provide an explanation of the death penalty process in Idaho. The two links found below provide details of the two executions that Mr. Reinke helped to carry out, quoting him in each article.
Triple Killer Rhoades Executed in Idaho
Leavitt's Execution Described as Silent, Sterile, Respectful