Facility Re-Entry Services

• Transition From Prison to Community
(TPC)
– Overview of Pre-Release Programming offered at all facilities
– Identification Acquisition
– Optional Programming Opportunities
– Special Populations

Transitions and Reentry Services
• Staffing
– Prisons with significant release numbers have an assigned transition program coordinator to facilitate reentry resources
– Each of the nine adult prisons in Minnesota are staffed with a Transition Coordinator
– Intake facility staffed with Child Support
Liaison Worker
– Central Office management team of four managers

• Faribault
– Jolene Peterson
– Jeff Petersen
• Shakopee
– Sandy Hand
• Stillwater
– Harriette Manis
– Bridget Letnes
• Oak Park Heights
• Lino Lakes
– Joe McCoy
• Rush City
– Jason Skwira
• Moose Lake
– Heather Walczynski
• Willow River
– Craig Olsen
• St. Cloud
– Rebecca Fratzke

–Casework
Involvement
–Supervising
Agent
–Community
Partnerships

• Orientation, continuum of service
– Mandatory programming
– Provides information on programming available at the facility and how to get into such programming
– Allows time for a plan to develop
– Focus
– “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

• St. Cloud recommendations
– What did they recommend
– What does it mean if I complete these recommendations?
– What does it mean if I do not?
• Case management expectations
– What do they need and when?
• Supervising Agents
– What to expect?

Transitions and Reentry Services
• Pre-Release Class
• Mandatory
– Challenges of a broad audience
– Niche programming (SO, CD, RV, LSI-R)
– Continuum of Service – Intake through Expiration
– Schedules and programming vary from facility to facility based off of security/programming schedules

• Identification
• Life Skills
• Housing
• Education
• Transportation
• Living Under
Supervision
• Family
• Restorative Justice
• Health
• Money
Management
• Employment

• Day 1
– Introduction/Attitude
– Identification
• Birth Certificate
• Social Security
• DL Record Review
• Driver’s License/ID
• Day 2
– Housing
– Credit (NovaDebt)
– Health Care Overview
• Day 3
– Tax Credit
– Federal Bonding
– Family Reunification
– Child Support
• Day 4
– Release Planning
– Casework Overview
– Living Under
Supervision
– Agent Presentation
– Optional Seminars

• Job Search Preparation
• Career Assessment
• Skills Identification
• Resume & Cover Letters
• Applications
• Networking
• Internet Job Search
• The Job Interview
• Finishing Touches

• Accept referrals/questions
• Resource acquisition
• Release Plan questions
• Pre-Release involvement
• Q&A

• Living Under Supervision
• Myth Busters
• Collaboration with Stearns County and
DOC Agents
• Monthly sessions
• Q&A

• Mandatory Pre-Release Class
• Interest-Drive
• Targeted Topics:
– Housing, Financial Literacy, Family Reunification,
Relapse Prevention, Child Support, College
Preparation, Mock Interviews and Career
Exploration
• Offenders are HIGHLY encouraged to enroll in the seminars that apply to their individual needs

• Housing Link
• Salvation Army

• The Village Financial
Consulting
• Novadebt (Roseville,
MN)
• Family Means
• Wells Fargo

• Bridge Builders for Kids
• Amicus
• Minding the Gap

• Facility CD
Treatment Staff
• Mark Groves
• Transition Program
Coordinators

– Crucial liaison between DHS/DOC
– EDUCATE
– Assist in modifying child support orders for incarcerated men at intake facility
– Contact information for county child support workers
– Quash warrants for non appearance
– Try to lift driver’s license suspensions prior to release

• St. Cloud State
University
• St. Cloud Technical
College
Financial Aid Services
Admissions

• Interview
Preparation
– Felony Question
• Correction
Teaching
Assistants
• Volunteers
• Mock Interview
Fairs

• Career Scope
• Career Exploration
Class
• Follow-through
– Vocational Short-term
Programs
– College

– Birth Certificate
– Social Security
– State ID/Driver’s License
• Why don’t offenders have these items?
• Impact?

• Social Security
Cards
– Memo of
Understanding
• Facilities partner with local office
• Difficulties with varying offices
• Varying Aliases
• Social Security
Numbers
• Birth Certificate
– Various states/various processes
– Funding
– Name issues
– Road to identification
(DL/ID)

Driver and Vehicle Services
• Driver and Vehicle Services Record
Reviews
– Fines, Reinstatement Dates, Requirements
• Driver and Vehicle Services MN State
ID/Driver’s License MOU
– Contract DVS to come into the facilities and complete applications for MN State Id’s and
Driver’s Licenses
• Class D Written Test

DL/ID Issues
• Driver’s licenses suspended and revoked
– Child support non-payment
– Driving After Revocation, No Insurance, etc.
• Hard to prove identity in some cases (lost documents, aliases, name changes)
• Costs in both time and money to achieve
ID docs
– MN DL Renewal $24.00
– State ID $18.00

Transitions and Reentry Services
SPECIAL POPULATIONS
• Short-Term Offenders
• Female offenders
• Release Violators
• Segregation

• Short-Term
Offenders (STO’S)
– July 1, 2009
– <180 Days
– Unique Population
• Mandate
• Triage
• Demographics
• Concerns

• MCF-St. Cloud retains all offenders who have less than 120 days to their schedule release date (SRD)
• If an offender has more than 120 days, he may be transferred to another facility
• MCF-Shakopee retains all female STO’s

• Under 14 Days to
SRD
– Triage
• Identification
• Health Care
• Resources
• Job Info
• Resume
• Optional Seminars

• Typical Short-Term Offender Transitional
Services
– Adapted Pre-Release Class
• Targeted needs
– Seminars
– Self-Paced Opportunities
– Resources
– Key to success: Collaboration

o Because men and women are different. To treat men and women equally, we must treat them differently, while always following DOC policies and procedures! o

based on July, 2009 statistics o Average age 36-45 years old o Typically female offenders complete higher levels of education o Higher rates of mental health issues & dual diagnosis o Parenting prior to & while they are incarcerated o Greater medical needs

• Common issues that female offenders face
• Trauma and Addiction
• Relational Issues

•
•
•
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Release Violators
• Release Violators
– “ Hints on Transitions – Attitude, Issues and Resources” (HOT AIR)
• The program motto is – “It’s all Hot Air.
What YOU do with it determines if your balloon flies”
• Primarily based off of repeat offender issues —more individualized services

• Menu of services offered based off of needs…
– Attitude
– Issues
– Resources
• Collaboration: Parole Officers, Ex-
Offenders, Community Resources

• Large population getting released directly from segregation living units
– MCF-St. Cloud Youthful Offenders
• Individualized triage services

• All facilities have a
Transitions
Resource Room
• Wide collection of resources
• Computer Access
• Tutor Assistance

MCF-St. Cloud Transition Resource Room

Transitions Resource Center
MCF-Shakopee

– Reentry resources home page
– www.minnesotaworks.net
– United Way 211
– O-NET Work
Importance and
Interest Profiler
– Career Scope
– Financial/Credit
Assistance
• Microsoft Excel and
Word
• Offender Workforce
Development Division
• Win Way Resume
Deluxe
• Legal Aid Information
• Child Support
Information

• IMPORTANT
Community
Collaboration
• Volunteer
Interviewers
• Optional
• Class-Interview-
Debrief
• Facility-wide initiative

• One of the BEST services we offer offenders nearing release
• Community Organizations
• Offenders one year from their
Supervised Release Date are invited to attend
• Collaboration/Education

• April 26 th , 2011: MCF-Shakopee
– Contact: Sandy Hand
• May 11 th , 2011: MCF-St. Cloud
– Contact: Rebecca Fratzke
• June 9 th , 2011: MCF-Faribault
– Contact: Jolene Peterson
• July 19 th , 2011: MCF-Lino Lakes
– Contact: Joe McCoy
• November 2 nd , 2011: MCF-Stillwater
– Contact: Harriette Manis