Field Days

"It's a very small percentage of people who take on a lot for the country." Almost 2,000 of that small percentage - of Americans who are or have been active in the military, work for the department. During the inaugural "Veterans Appreciation Week," we honor all our veterans and military service members. Our guests in this episode are veterans Todd Butler, policy and FOIA manager, Wendy Hart, an analyst in the PREA section, and Michael Farmer, administrative manager in the training division.

With approximately 2,000 military service members and veterans working for the Michigan Department of Corrections, we are honored to recognize those who have served and continue to serve to defend our freedoms. We thank the MDOC Operational Excellence Military Team for their work to establish the first department-wide "Veterans Appreciation Week," beginning Monday, November 6 through Friday, November 10. Every MDOC worksite will be participating in activities honoring the department's military employees throughout the week. Our guests in this episode are team members Jeanette (Jay) Cox, newly promoted to departmental technician for the CFA Deputy Director's Office and Warden Tom Winn from Saginaw Correctional Facility.

There's no shortage of great leadership in the corrections industry and as a Field Days Podcast listener you'll hear from two in this new episode. Kevin Kempf, executive director of the Association of State Correctional Administrators and former guest on the podcast sings praises about MDOC staff and shares his appreciation for their hard work to champion offender success. Kempf talks about what’s next in terms of moving the needle in elevating the corrections profession.John Baldwin, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections provides us insight into what his state and staff are uniquely doing on the reentry side of corrections in order to achieve and maintain a 25% reduction in prison population. Director Washington also shares a few remarks on employee engagement and future goals.

Governor Rick Snyder made his way to the second Vocational Village at Parnall Correctional Facility for a hands-on experience. Fortunately, for the Field Days podcast crew, he had a few minutes to share his thoughts on the program and where he sees the program going. Without hesitation Snyder thanks the Director and all corrections staff for the around the clock work they do to keep Michigan residents safe. Also, in this episode Director Washington steps in as a co-host.

At the Association of State Correctional Administrators Midwest Directors Conference Director Washington sits alongside two past directors of the department as Field Days Podcast guests. Ken McGinnis director from 1991 to 1999 and Pat Caruso, who was the first female director in MDOC history from 2003 to 2010 recall their biggest accomplishments and struggles as director.

This week on Field Days Podcast, Chris and Greg discuss a variety of fun topics and give an update on what's been going on in the department the past couple of weeks.

Roger French, a Prison Counselor at the Newberry Correctional Facility, has talents that extend beyond prison walls and have gained statewide recognition. He was recently selected by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan as a Girls' State Coach of the Year and was also named Coach of the Year for his region. In this episode, Greg and Chris talk to French about how his coaching helped bring the Engadine Eagles basketball team to the MHSAA Tournament.

The State Employees Charitable Campaign begins Sept. 18 and provides an opportunity for staff to give back to their communities by contributing to any of the more than 1,000 charities supported by the annual fundraiser.Last year Michigan Department of Corrections employees raised $97,872 through payroll deduction donations alone. Tune in to hear from Heather Travis, Program Director of the State Employees Charitable Campaign, on how your donated dollars help local organizations provide services to those in need. Visit www.misecc.org for more information about the campaign.

The role of a Field Agent and the interactions our agents have with the offenders they supervise is critical to public safety and reducing the overall risk of the offender. Evidence-Based Practices indicate it is imperative for field staff to address an offender’s criminogenic. The Department has chosen to pilot Carey Guides with 100 field agents including our guest, Angel Lucas, a probation agent in Bay County, in order to provide an additional resource to agents. The guides are designed to be used in three ways; stand-alone intervention, as a reinforcement of another program intervention and ad-hoc intervention.

The Vocational Village at Parnall Correctional Facility will host its' first open house tomorrow where several employers will have the opportunity to see firsthand the skilled trades programs offered to prisoners. Warden Melinda Braman talks about some the similarities and differences between this Vocational Village and the operations at Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility. She also shares some key insights to her success and leadership style as a warden.