Field Days

John Cordell, commander of the MDOC Honor Guard, expresses the hard work and discipline it takes to be one of the dedicated Honor Guard members. 30 years after their creation, they provide a positive representation of the department at numerous ceremonies and events, nation-wide. You can read more about the MDOC Honor Guard on the department's blog, here: bit.ly/HonorGuard30

Several proposed pieces of legislation were passed in 2017 that will have some impact on the department, including the hiring of felons bill. Kyle Kaminski, reentry administrator and acting legislative liaison, reviews those bills and explains the changes they will have on our operations.

Happy New Year! 2018 is here and for many, it is a time to start fresh and refocus for the days, weeks and months ahead. Before the Field Days Podcast team can move forward with their resolutions, Chris and Greg sit down and hash out the big events, milestones, and accomplishments, as well as recognize staff we lost too soon during 2017.

We're back! Yes, for the final episode of the year and we want to thank all our Field Days Podcast for a great 2017 season. The podcast produced 52 episodes with 75 guests, was listened to over 40,000 times and received two awards. Chris, Greg, and Camara have plenty planned for 2018, but until catch this episode highlighting some of their favorite episodes and favorite guests.

A 21-year employee of the department, Phil Monahan spends his days as a quartermaster at Parnall Correctional Facility and his free time performing as a professional wrestler and spreads joy during the holiday season as Santa. He has a passion for giving back to the community and uses his wrestling career to advocate against bullying in schools and fundraise for those in need.

Field Days Podcast - Officer Fineis by Field Days

Michigan Corrections Organization (MCO) is leading the charge in elevating the corrections profession by way of the Move Forward Campaign, which aims to promote the values and standards that set corrections and forensic officers apart in the criminal justice system in Michigan. Andy Potter, Vice President/Chief of Staff and Jeremy Tripp, Director of Government and Political Affairs share the initiatives MCO has taken to reform negative perceptions of corrections professionals.

Mike Keck and Lara Neuman are both experts on the COMPAS program, which acts as an additional tool for probation agents to offer recommendations based on individual's needs to the court for sentencing.Keck, COMPAS program manager, and Neuman who helped start the pilot program out of Kalamazoo County where she is a supervisor, talk about the important role COMPAS has on evidence-based sentencing.Van Buren County Judge Kathleen Brickley also advocates for the use of COMPAS at the pre-sentence investigation and shares a story about its success.

Ear Hustle — a slang term for eavesdropping, is a podcast collaboration between Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, prisoners at San Quentin State Prison in California, and Nigel Poor, a Bay Area artist who volunteers at the prison.Produced inside the prison's media lab, Ear Hustle tells stories about life inside prison walls. The podcast reached number one on the iTunes podcast charts, shortly after its March 2017 release.Nigel Poor co-host, co-creator, and co-producer shares stories of Ear Hustle's success during this Field Days interview.

Three sponsored department competitive shooting teams took second place overall, during the 80th Michigan State Police Pistol Match — a first in department history. Deanne "Dee" Bodnar, a sergeant at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility and podcast guest, won the High Corrections Individual title. The September 14 competition was held in Jackson where Bodnar and over 30 MDOC shooters went up against 150 competitors. EPIC Competitive Shooting Team lead, Assistant Deputy Director Robert Napel, and Dee talk about the competition and the plans to drum up support from staff.