Corrections conference offers valuable training and networking for DOC members

More than a dozen MAPE members from the Department of Corrections (DOC) attended a corrections conference designed to drive meaningful change within the justice system last month in Nisswa. The annual conference was hosted by the Minnesota Corrections Association and this year's theme was Empowering Change, Enhancing Justice.

The conference is designed for corrections professionals, administrators, policymakers, advocates, mental health experts, educators and community leaders who are committed to fostering a system that serves communities, rehabilitates individuals and promotes a fair and balanced approach to justice.

MAPE again sponsored the annual corrections conference which offers professional development, networking activities and the opportunity to earn continuing education credits. MAPE also hosted a booth at the resource fair.   

One breakout was on legislative priorities presented by DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell and Representatives Paul Novotny and Danny Nadeau. 

For Region 11 Director Jessica Raptis, the professional development and training piece was one of the most important parts of the conference. "MAPE members are always asking the State for this. It's important for members to attend these sessions while they're there," she said.

"The hard part is DOC did not send many people this year. It's always valuable for members and staff to be in different situations. It's important for staff to learn more about corrections and to build trust relationships with members, and any time we can get members exposed to more staff it gives them a big picture view of the union," Raptis added.

Raptis works on the Interstate Corrections Compact which allows Minnesota to exchange incarcerated offenders with other states that are members of the compact. She said she found the Big Changes in the Interstate Compact for Adult Supervision workshop especially noteworthy. Another highlight were workshops led by conference keynote and national corrections facilitator Dr. Alexandra Walker where participants role played various scenarios "and the discussions were really interesting."

Local 1501 Corrections Agent Tabitha Schacht, who works in the Park Rapids office, also found Dr. Walker's breakout sessions valuable. She mentioned two sessions she found especially helpful: in the workshop highlighting trauma informed care management. "It was refreshing to hear that we don't treat trauma, we leave it to licensed professionals - we shouldn't be in the role of providing treatment as a corrections agent," Schacht said.

The other was learning about the law changes regarding the ignition interlock for clients who get DWIs and are required to have the ignition lock system on their cars.

"The biggest thing was the networking and relationship building. It was revitalizing to be able to network and spend time with other people in the criminal justice system," Schacht added. Schacht is Chair of DOC's Meet and Confer Team.

Local 1302's CeCe Ofei is a senior clinical therapist at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee which houses all females. She has counseled women who have been trafficked and attended the Incarcerated Survivors: Identifying Human Trafficking in the Justice System workshop. Presenters reminded participants that trafficking happens because of demand and the importance of building awareness around coercion.

Ofei said she found the workshop on forced criminality especially interesting, "It is so much more involved than I had thought about. They are not only trafficking you for sex but also for transporting drugs across state lines and other activities. There is coercion and threats, physical abuse, intimidation, isolation, denying, blaming, minimizing. There is also physical abuse, using privilege, financial abuse and recruitment."

Exploitation of Native youth is on the rise. Native American women make up as much as 20% of the incarcerated female population in Minnesota despite being only one percent of the population.

"This experience was great for our union. The corrections field is continually evolving and MAPE members told me they really learned a lot from the two dozen breakout sessions. They also appreciated learning from their union colleagues," Statewide Vice President Angie Halseth said.

Halseth, who also serves as a caseworker at the Lino Lakes correctional facility, said corrections workers look forward to MAPE's continued involvement at the conference and the association throughout the year.