Category Stillwater Show all
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Stillwater Sisters Held Warden’s Assistant Job for 46 Years
Sisters, from left, Penny Karasch, Sherry Bohn and Connie Davis laugh as they share stories of working at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Bohn is the third of the three sisters who have served as assistants to the warden at Oak Park Heights and the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater. Bohn will retire on Jan. 2, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
The full article from the Pioneer Press can be read here: Stillwater sisters held warden’s assistant job for 46 years. Now their time is up. – Twin Cities.
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Successful Toys for Tots Drive at Oak Park Heights and Stillwater
By Sherry Bohn
Oak Park Heights and Stillwater work together annually to collect toys for Toys for Tots. They take the toys from both facilities together to KARE11. Thank you to the OPH Honor Guard for their service and their time delivering the toys to KARE 11.
The toys pictured below are from OPH staff and the Yellow Ribbon Committee.
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Shout Out for Stillwater Harrington
Daniel Moe submitted this Shout Out for Lt. Harrington for going above and beyond and for setting a good example for co-workers.
MCF-STW would like to give a huge Shout Out to Lt. Teeshan Harrington! He organizes our Ruck Marches here at Sillwater, and is always going above and beyond the call of duty. He has a great rapport with all of his officers. He was even spotted this morning helping an IP out with garbage duty! Great job, Teeshan. You set an amazing example!
Thanks for submitting this Daniel!
If you'd like to submit a Shout Out for a DOC officer, agent or staff, send it to Rosie at rose.widell@state.mn.us
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Shout Out for Stillwater Maintenance
Amanda Kenowski sent in this thoughtful Shout Out to thank Dan Stanton and team!
I would like to send a Shout Out to Dan Stanton and the STW maintenance crew for always tending to the facility needs no matter how big or small with such quickness. Dan came in on a weekend to clean the carpets on the 2nd floor of the admn building and they look great! We appreciate you, Dan!
Thanks for sending in this Shout Out Amanda!
If you'd like to submit a Shout Out for a DOC officer, agent or staff, send it to Rosie at rose.widell@state.mn.us
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Still Waters Run Deep Tattoo Program Opens
MCF-Stillwater’s “Still Waters Run Deep” tattoo shop had a big week with their first official tattoo being applied on Tuesday and the grand opening of the shop on Thursday. Tuesday, IP apprentices Courtney Ocegueda and Daniel Gonzales eagerly watched and learned as DOC’s Justin Jimenez, the program’s director, as well as a shop owner in the community, applied an incredible memorial cat tattoo to the arm of Sergeant Joel Ecker. Stillwater staff were able to enter a drawing to be a practice subject and one staff was chosen for each of the 12 genres of tattooing. On Thursday, DOC leadership and staff from around the agency came together to support the program, and to witness the ceremonially ribbon cutting. A big shout out to Sergeant Steve Turbeville who provides security, creative suggestions of his own, and a calming presence over the shop.
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Stillwater Staff Participate In Vest Pilot
By Captain Mike Pavlich
On Friday, December 1st, 13 Stillwater Officers from various shifts and departments including A-Team, B-West, and Segregation voluntarily participated in a pilot project focusing on vests. The objective is to enhance the health and safety of our staff by alleviating pressure on the hips and back. This project will be ongoing for several months as they are studied to see how the vests are enduring the ever-changing Minnesota weather.
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Faces Behind “Still Waters Run Deep Ink”
By Justin Jimenez, Eric Hennen, Marina Fuhrman
Stillwater’s Tattoo program has officially commenced.
On October 23, 2023, classes began in Stillwater’s new tattoo shop. The journey to get to this point has taken a year and has presented many obstacles to overcome with all hands-on deck. Some of the obstacles included finding and renovating an adequate space to build a tattoo studio within the facility, identifying vendors and ordering equipment, creating assignment compensation workflow, working with other state agencies to meet all regulations and receive licensure, creating policy and security directives, creating a curriculum based educational process, and last but not least, finding qualified individuals to participate in the program and many other tasks.
This program is the first of its kind and will provide an authentic tattoo apprenticeship to Incarcerated individuals who want to pursue a career in the tattoo industry. The goals of this program are to create a healthier facility by slowing the spread of bloodborne pathogens and to reduce recidivism by providing a career path for incarcerated individuals upon release.
The program began with two tattoo apprentices with two open spots still available. Over the course of the program, the men will learn the basic tattooing principles such as understanding cross contamination, bloodborne pathogens training, professionalism and the history of tattooing to name a few.
In the future, more technical aspects such as machine function, art composition, different genres of tattooing, tattooing fake skin and ultimately leading into tattooing on skin will be learned. The tattooing instructor will also be conducting live seminars, in which a few randomly chosen staff will be tattooed, to show the apprentices firsthand techniques and knowledge of tattooing applications. The first of these live seminars will likely commence by the end of November 2023.
As we move forward with this new innovative program, we would like to take the time to thank everyone involved in this process whose hard work and support made this happen: Nanette Larson, Deputy Commissioner; William Bolin, Warden; Guy Bosch, Warden; Andrew Darling, Captain (retired); Lisa Connors, Captain;, Captain; Andrew Bischel, job assignment; Brendan Byrne, job assignment; Aaron Huntsman, facility maintenance; Dawn Paul, tools; Steve Turbeville, security; John Sofie, keys; Dan Moe, AWO; Lisa Stenseth, Warden; Jim Stodola, plumber supervisor; Tim Tarentino, maintenance; Derek Drake, maintenance supervisor; Wayne Niles, safety; Richard Specht, chief engineer; Eric Johnson, painter; Maika Xiong, HS budget/procurement; Emily Lundahl, HS budget/procurement; Sandra Tobias-Kotyk, HS budget/procurement; Andy Skoogman, communications; Chris Tollefson, electrician; Peter Gunderson, electrician; Michael Shepperson, plumbing; Patty Popp, Education; Cheri Short, Health Services; Kathy Reid, Health Services; Gabrielle Root, Health Services; Kwesi Pasley, CFO; Sarah Fitzgerald, communications; Christian Cadwell, plumber; Damian Denuccio, security; Chad Effertz, maintenance; Mary Sturm, policy; Kristi Cisar, finance; Dianna Kryzer, finance; and the staff at the MN Department of Health, Body Art Regulatory Unit.
We could not have gotten to this point without your help. Thank you!
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Veterans Day Memorial Ruck
By Associate Warden Dan Moe
On November 13th, 2023, in honor of Veterans Day, the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee at MCF-STW organized a memorial ruck, commemorating our Veterans' sacrifices and raising awareness about Veteran Suicide. Led by Lt. Teeshan Harrington, the event commenced at 1300, marching around the facility for 2.2 hours and concluded at 1512 at the main entrance. Additionally, a donation box was placed in the 2nd turnkey for contributions to this cause.
A heartfelt thank you to Lt. Harrington for spearheading this and profound gratitude to all veterans for their service.
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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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Shout Out: Peer Recognition Nominations
By Susan Armstrong
Officer Rob Leier and Officer Tony Middleton both received Peer Recognition Nominations in the category of Safety.
During an ICS, they immediately pull up the cameras and search for threats. On numerous occasions they have protected staff and IP's with their quick response time watching cameras and providing clear and concise radio communications directing staff during stressful situations. It is a great reassurance knowing they are both watching and looking out for staff during chaotic situations.
Congratulations!
