Category Shakopee Show all
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Shout Out: Lieutenants Retzinger, Sunde, and Harrington
Huge Shout Out to Lieutenants Eric Retzinger (SHK), Anthony Sunde (FRB), and Teeshan Harrington (STW) for covering CO Trainee interviews on Friday, October 6, with almost no notice for Lino Lakes after a very challenging week and a significant event on Thursday that needed their devoted attention.
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Two Well Deserved Sergeant Promotions at MCF-Shakopee
By Lt. Eric Retzinger
Please join me in congratulating Sgt. Anthony Kuechle and Sgt. Anne Jordan on their promotions to 3rd Watch Broker/Monahan Sergeant. Both started with the Department in July of 2018 and have worked various posts throughout the Shakopee facility during this time. Sgt. Kuechle is a Mentor, ICS instructor and part of our CIT team. Sgt. Jordan is an instructor for Chemical, Control Tactics/Self-Defense and Communication and Boundaries. She is also trained in CIT and CISM as well as a facility FTO. Both Sgt. Kuechle and Sgt. Jordan bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position. There promotions were effective August 2nd 2023.
Congratulations, Sgt Kuechle and Sgt. Jordan!
Thank you!
Sgt. Anne Jordan
Sgt. Anthony Kuechle -
Shout Out: Shakopee Incident Response
By Janet Rodriguez-Ricci
I want to acknowledge the exemplary response of the squad at Shakopee serving in an incident on August 8, all of whom acted with compassionate presence while providing a safe environment for some of us non-uniformed staff who were assisting a volatile incarcerated individual with a very hard phone call.
The use of relaxed body posture and proximity as needed definitely helped this scene remain controlled, without eliciting a defensive response from the individual.
I am proud to be in collaboration with this team!
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Shout Out: Shakopee's Haskamp Promoted to 1st Watch Commander
By Captain Angie Michel
Please congratulate Lt. Eric Haskamp on his promotion to 1st Watch Commander at MCF – Shakopee.
Lt. Haskamp started with the Department of Corrections in 2012 at MCF – Rush City as a Corrections Officer. During his career, Lt. Haskamp has participated in the FTO Program, Mentor Program, SORT, SOG and has been an instructor in a variety of topics, including: CPR/AED, First Aid, Control Tactics, Self-Defense, Weapons and FN-303. Lt. Haskamp brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and integrity to the Shakopee Watch Commander group.
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Shout Out: Greta Henderson and Tom Botler
By Rebecca Fratzke
I just wanted to send out a big-shout out for Greta and Tom and the entire MCF-SHK staff for their recent successful Transitions Fair.
From the second our guests walked into the facility, they were greeted and welcomed in by excited staff who walked them through the processes of getting situated through security and seated within the gym. Your security staff were helpful, kind and patient with our guests. Our guests were blown away by the work of your food service staff and incarcerated individuals in having such a beautiful spread of refreshments, which truly looked catered in.
Greta and Tom, your tutors did an amazing job welcoming incarcerated individuals into the fair and assisting guests with questions and directions. It was clear throughout the day that many meaningful connections were made due to the event—which would not have happened without your careful planning and preparation.
Thank you so very much for all you did to make this a wonderful event for so many incarcerated individuals, guests, and staff. Thank you also to all SHK staff who helped make this happen—it takes a village and it’s clear the SHK village knows how to rock these events out! I think I even saw AWO Jorgenson taking garbage out! Servant leadership at it’s best! Thank you all so very much!
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Shakopee Cisco Student Defies Age and Sentence for a New Start
By Andee Flohr
Rebecca had worked for a time in nursing, started a family, and earned herself a job as a Regional Manager for a retail chain. “Then I ended up getting a few DWIs and that’s what brought me to prison,” she says.
With a 66-month sentence, “I knew I was going to be here for quite a while, and I wanted to do something with my time here. I didn’t want to just—for lack of a better statement—just sit around and do nothing,” says Rebecca. “I wanted to have something to show for my time here.”
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COII Lisa Jahn Retires from MCF-Shakopee
By Lisa Jahn
I have worked for the DOC Since March of 1996. I began my career at MCF-Redwing as a CO. My time at Red Wing was short, about 9 months before transferring to MCF-Shakopee where I remained. As I reflect on these years, I think about all the wonderful people I have met over these years. When I was at Red Wing I worked with juvenile offenders. That is when I looked at this job as an adventure. No day would ever be the same. Working with the juveniles was a great experience. I made many friends and found it hard to leave the great staff at Red Wing. I still laugh when I think about Stan Barber, Lloyd, and Morrie. These three took time to talk to me about the importance of my job and told me funny stories about all their years in corrections. I laughed every day I worked there.
December of 1996, I transferred to Shakopee. Now I would be working with the women. At the academy, the instructors always said “this applies to the men's prisons. Shakopee and Red Wing are different." WOW were they right. There were many rules and exceptions for the female population vs. the male population. I think back to offenders wearing their own clothing, buying lots of Avon products, having courtyard blankets for them to sit on, taking offenders shopping at the local K Mart, taking offenders to off grounds jobs sites, we had offenders take furloughs which they would call in to tell me they were ok, and staff and offenders could go outside for a smoke. Well, many things have changed over the years. Eventually the female's prison would get more in line with the rules and policies of the male prisons. In 1996 there were about 125 offenders. As the years went by the population grew to over 600. We were overcrowded and had to house some of the population in County Jails and the federal prison in Waseca. When COVID hit that cleared our population down to around 400.
Over the years in Shakopee, I have worked a variety of positions. I began on a relief pool. We filled in the vacation slots. Working relief meant you worked any day and any shift. We knew our schedule about a month in advance no set days off. I did this for four and a half years. I then worked 2nd watch Monahan – the treatment unit. I was on squad for about six years. What a great group of people to work with. Then I moved to transportation in 2011 where I'm still at. I must say this has been the best position I have worked. A career highlight was working with central transport to pick up violators in other states. The best part of working in transportation has been Sgt. Yackly and my partners. I have so much respect for all of them. They are professional, hardworking, and great people. I know every day I have laughed while at work. One of the most important things in Corrections is to surround yourself with good people and laugh every day. This is a crazy job, people in the real world can't understand the things we deal with. You have to find a way to make sense of these unusual events you will encounter. I relied on great partners and laughter. Best wishes to all of you!
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Shout Out to Central Transport, Lino lakes, and Red Wing
By Brady Hartman
Wanted to give a shout out to Central Transport, Lino lakes, and Red Wing.
In recent times Shakopee has had numerous Incarcerated Persons in hospitals within the metro. This became problematic because, like most others, we are short staffed. We reached out to the above mentioned and like the correctional family always does, they stepped up and helped us out.
I am confident a “thank you" was shared a time or two over the phone but I need to make sure everyone heard it. Shakopee is grateful and we thank you!
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Corrections Week Celebrated With Enthusiasm at Shakopee
By Joshua Fargusson
Here in Shakopee, Corrections Week was celebrated with different meals/desserts/snacks each day of the work week. Everything from bagels, to tacos, to the overwhelmingly popular ice cream day. As you can see, some were perhaps a little too excited for ice cream day! (We were unfortunately not fast enough with the camera to capture the reverse 1/2 somersault with 4 1/2 twists performed prior to this 10 point ice cream celebrated landing.)
We chalked it up to the emergence of spring and the overabundance of energetic enthusiasm it inspires. Hope everyone had a wonderful Corrections Week!!!
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Shakopee Restorative Justice Committee Raises $3400 for Victim Impact Week
By Sgt. Dave Hergott
National Crime Victim's Rights Week was April 23 – April 29. Incarcerated Persons on MCF-Shakopee's Restorative Justice (RJ) Committee made posters that were on display throughout the week.
The RJ Committee is also in the final stages of completing a “food fundraiser" that was very successful. Just over 250 Incarcerated Persons placed orders, with profits exceeding $3,400. The RJ Committee plans to donate the proceeds to a Mental Health facility in the Twin Cities.
