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| Department News 2009 Back to Department News |
The Department of Corrections (DOC) is committed to preserving the state’s natural assets as well as protecting citizen health and safety. An Environmental “Green” Initiatives Backgrounder has been created to highlight the department’s efforts in recycling, waste reduction, resource conservation, and regulatory compliance. For example, over a two-year period, green initiatives have helped reduce garbage at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City by 30.6 percent. More information is available in the new backgrounder. |
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November 15-22 is National Restorative Justice Week. Minnesota correctional facilities will host victim/survivor presentations describing the impact of crime on victims. Guests will also share their experiences involving the victim-offender dialogue and apology letter processes. In addition, offender restorative justice committees will donate quilts to community organizations such domestic violence shelters. Restorative justice is a framework that engages victims, offenders and the community in repairing the harm caused by crime. For more information, view this department backgrounder. |
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 The Minnesota Corrections Association (MCA) Fall Training Institute was held October 28-29. At the event, awards were presented to professionals and programs for their contributions to corrections in Minnesota. Two Department of Corrections staff were presented individual awards – field services Northern Regional Manager Andy Doom, Corrections Person of the Year, and Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF)-Togo Captain Terry "Sully" Sullivan, Professional Achievement-Corrections Facility. The service dog training program Anything’s Pawsable, a partnership between the MCF-Faribault and Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, was awarded the President’s Award. To view a full list of the winners, click here. 
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Applications for promotion to the corrections agent, career class will be accepted October 1-October 30, 2009. Interested employees should submit applications to their district supervisors. For more information on the requirements and application process, click here. Contact Rena Patterson in field services at 507/457-6477 or Kelly Alexander in human resources at 651/361-7318 with questions. |
Commissioner Joan Fabian has appointed Mark Thielen to serve as warden of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Faribault, effective November 13, 2009. For more information, click here. |
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The Combined Charities Campaign kicked off October 1. This month-long event allows state employees to donate to the charity or charities of their choice through payroll deduction. Each year, thousands of state employees use the campaign to make personal donations to improve communities and help those in need throughout Minnesota. More information about Combined Charities and how to donate is available at www.charities.state.mn.us. |
In mid-September, a mock-hostage training was held for Department of Corrections' staff. Participants included the department's Special Operations Response Teams, Special Operations Groups, Crisis Negotiator Teams, and Marksman/Observer Teams. Training was held at the Scott County Public Safety Training Center in Jordan, Minnesota, and prepares participants for dangerous situations within the facilities. |
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Commissioner Joan Fabian has appointed Bruce Reiser to serve as warden of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City, effective September 16, 2009. For more information, click here. |
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September is National Preparedness Month. This month-long effort encourages employers and families to prepare for emergency situations, including the H1N1 virus. More information about preparedness is available at www.codeready.org. |
Department of Corrections (DOC) staff from several facilities participated in National Night Out and Night to Unite events on August 4, 2009. These community events strengthen neighborhood and law enforcement relationships and promote crime prevention efforts. Some DOC employees answered questions about the department while others demonstrated fingerprinting and handcuffing techniques. In Faribault, DOC Canine Officer John Rathai and his partner Chaos visited with community members. |
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Mary Johnson, founder of From Death to Life: Two Mothers, has received a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime. The award recognizes Johnson's dedication and work on behalf of America's victims of crime. In addition to her community work on behalf of victims, Johnson shares her story with offenders during National Crime Victims' Rights Week and Restorative Justice Week. This spring, she and the man who murdered her son spoke together to juveniles at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Red Wing. Commissioner Joan Fabian presented the award to Johnson on July 27, 2009. |
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The Minnesota Department of Corrections has named Heather Hawkins as 2009 Agent of the Year. Hawkins supervises juvenile and adult misdemeanor offenders in Martin County. To read more about her selection, click here.
The Agent of the Year award is given annually in conjunction with National Probation, Parole & Community Supervision Week, recognized this year July 19-25. |
After June tornadoes caused extensive damage in the northeast region of Austin, Sentencing to Service (STS) crews responded. Clearing the streets and roads for repair crews took top priority. STS crews then cleared fallen trees and debris from city and county parks. The work of the crews drew high praise from Austin City officials along with heads of city and county park maintenance departments. |
Wanted: Fugitive Willie A. Johnson. For details, click here. Photo was taken on 6-1-09 in a Stillwater area bank. Call 911 or the DOC 24-hour tipline at 651-603-0026 if you have information on Johnson or other fugitives. |
The Minnesota Community Corrections Association has awarded DOC agent David Leal its Robert H. Robinson Service Award. The honor recognizes a staff person who has achieved excellence in the field of community corrections. Leal has been with the DOC since 1996. He currently supervises offenders in Wright County. |
MCF-Faribault Officer Chris Persing and his K-9 partner, Titan, were showcased at the St. Paul Police Department’s K-9 graduation ceremony May 28. Eleven officer and K-9 teams participated, hailing from 11 different agencies in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. During the 12-week course, officers and their partners trained in suspect apprehension, narcotics and explosives detection, and physical and mental agility. |
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David Crist has been named deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections' Facility Services Division. Crist began his career in corrections in 1979, and has served as warden at both the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater and Lino Lakes. In January 2008, he was appointed assistant commissioner of the Facility Services Division. “David has a keen insight into the many issues facing corrections today,” said Commissioner Joan Fabian. “I'm confident he will continue to provide the leadership and responsiveness necessary in his new role as deputy commissioner.” |
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May 4-8 is Corrections Employee Recognition Week.
Correctional workers are responsible for management
of offenders in Minnesota correctional facilities and
on community supervision status. This workforce includes
officers, agents, nurses, dentists, caseworkers,
teachers, support and technology staff, and many other
professionals who work to maintain public safety. |
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Governor Tim Pawlenty and Corrections Commissioner Joan Fabian kicked-off Operation Clean-Up on April 16. This is the fifth year the Departments of Corrections and Transportation have partnered on this governor's initiative. The project uses volunteer and offender work crews to beautify Minnesota roadways. Sentencing to Service and Institution/Community Work Crews from around the state participate in Operation Clean-Up, which runs through September. |
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 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina participated in the Day of Peace with Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF)-Red Wing residents on March 30. Approximately 140 young men housed at the facility interacted with Esquivel about his experiences as a peacemaker. Esquivel focused his remarks around “Breaking the Cycle of Violence – Creating Lasting Peace.”
The Day of Peace, a collaborative effort between the nonprofit youthrive and the MCF-Red Wing, is sponsored by the Minnesota Departments of Education and Public Safety. |
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Commissioner Joan Fabian has appointed Eddie Miles to serve as warden of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Lino Lakes, effective April 15, 2009. He succeeds Warden Robert Feneis, who is retiring. For details, click here. |
Sentencing to Service (STS) and Institution/Community Work Crews (ICWC) are assisting with flood prevention efforts across northwestern Minnesota. ICWC and STS crews are filling and laying sandbags in communities along the Red River and other areas to protect homes, businesses and public buildings. Rain and snow showers have made flood prevention work more difficult. Crews from Wilkin, Otter Tail, Douglas, Pope, Clay, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Becker, Roseau, Beltrami and Pennington are involved in the effort. Mike Stoltman, Moorhead district supervisor, is working through local emergency management officials and sheriffs’ departments to determine areas of need and coordinate crew response. For more information about the state's disaster relief and recovery efforts, visit www.MinnesotaRecovers.org. |
 
A citizen looking online at cold case playing cards has led to the identification of the "four of diamonds," Deana Patnode of Inver Grove Heights, who disappeared in 1982. Her remains were found in Kellogg in 1986. Investigators are now treating the case as a homicide. The cold case cards are an initiative of the Minnesota departments of Corrections and Public Safety unveiled in October 2008. The cards highlight unsolved homicide, missing person, and unidentified remains cases. To see all of the cases, click here. |
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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking the public to vote on eight designs for the new critical habitat license plate. Four winners will be chosen. The new designs include a ladyslipper, a fishing scene, a white-tailed buck, a pheasant in flight, a black-capped chickadee, a walleye, a pair of loons, and a woodduck. Click here to view the designs.
The prison industry program at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City produces the state's license plates. The proposed designs take advantage of the flat plate printing technology that allows photographs to be used as license plate art. The critical habitat license plate program provides Minnesotans an opportunity to contribute to conservation. The program is a cooperative effort of the DNR, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Corrections. |
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In February, nearly 80 offenders at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Moose Lake participated in a job skills worksh op featuring Liz Reyer, president of Reyer Coaching & Consulting and contributor to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Reyer told attendees that preparation is key to success on the outside. She shared tips on addressing criminal history during an interview. Offenders also had an opportunity to practice their job interviewing techniques during a role-playing exercise. Many of the attendees have completed pre-release classes and are preparing to transition into the community.
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Frank W. Wood, state corrections commissioner from 1993-1996, died February 28, 2009. Mr. Wood devoted nearly four decades of service to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, starting in 1959 as a correctional officer and rising through the ranks to head the agency. Along the way, he served as warden at the Stillwater and Oak Park Heights correctional facilities and was deputy commissioner of the facilities division. He retired in 1996. He was a mentor to staff and inmates, recognizing the value in every human being.
Mr. Wood, age 70, was diagnosed with cancer five years ago. He demonstrated great strength, courage and resiliency as he lived with that diagnosis. |
In February, the Offender Restorative Justice Committee at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City held a fundraiser and donated $205 to the Rush City Food Shelf. Pictured are (L to R): James Fields, Shakur Al-Hakim, Rush City Food Shelf representative Carolyn Thiel, and Orson Matlock. Restorative justice is a framework that engages victims, offenders and the community in repairing the harm caused by crime. |
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MCF-Moose Lake recognized Restorative Justice Week in a variety of ways. The mother of a murd er victim talked with offenders about the impact of crime, and the director of Minnesotans for Safe Driving discussed safety on the roads. Offenders also performed a skit, The Parable of a Cave, about a man who attempts to break free of negative patterns. Restorative justice engages victims, offenders and the community in repairing some of the harm caused by crime.
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Harley W. Nelson, deputy commissioner of the Department of Corrections' (DOC) community services division, has announced his retirement effective January 6, 2009. Nelson began his corrections career in 1968 as a correctional officer at the Lino Lakes Diagnostic & Reception Center for Juveniles – now the MCF-Lino Lakes. In 1969, he was appointed a DOC corrections agent but was drafted in 1970 and served at Ft. Riley, Kansas, in the correctional training facility. He returned to Minnesota in 1971 as a corrections agent. In 1978, Nelson was appointed director of Tri-County Community Corrections, and in 1981 he assumed the same position in Washington County. He was named assistant corrections director in Ramsey County in 1987 where he served until his 2003 appointment as DOC deputy commissioner.
Chris Bray has been appointed to succeed Nelson as deputy commissioner of community services. She currently serves as DOC juvenile services director. Bray’s 35 years of corrections experience, of which 21 were in management, include extensive experience in field services operations, court services, research, evidence-based principles and practices, programming, community partnerships, outcome evaluation, and mental health initiatives. Bray is also a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in evaluation studies and a B.A. in social welfare from the University of Minnesota as well as a Master’s Degree in counseling psychology from St. Thomas University. Her appointment is effective January 7, 2009. |
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Contact Information
John Schadl
651/361-7229
john.schadl@state.mn.us
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