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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The warden of North Slave Correctional Centre has resigned in what is being called an abrupt departure by some.

Eric Kieken was warden of the jail for nearly three years.

Colin Gordon, director of corrections services with the Department of Justice, didn't offer an exact day but said Kieken resigned last week.

"People resign all the time for all kinds of reasons," Gordon said Wednesday when asked if Kieken provided a reason for his departure.

A former justice of the peace, Kieken was hired as a deputy warden for the correctional centre in 2004. He was promoted to acting warden in September 2006.

Kieken has also previously been employed as a police officer in Calgary and worked with the NWT's fire marshal's office for 13 years.

"It came to my attention about 10 days ago that he was absent without leave," said Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay.

"It was out of character for him to leave his post like that," he said, adding he heard Kieken has apparently left the country.

Gordon said he could not comment on whether or not Kieken was absent from work without leave prior to resigning, citing privacy issues.

He said deputy warden Guy LeBlanc is now acting as warden in Kieken's absence until the position is filled.

Kieken appeared in Yellowknifer's pages several times just last March, when he defended the jail after hundreds of books were taken from the correctional centre and brought to the dump to make room for new staff.

He also argued the jail was not suffering from GNWT spending cuts and defended the smoking ban imposed in the facility on April 1.

Ramsay said he hoped new leadership at the jail can "move the facility forward ... (we'll) see if we can actually do some good things out there."

"Maybe a change in leadership isn't such a bad thing," said Ramsay.

Kieken couldn't be reached for comment prior to press deadline.