 Antuane Waddy likes to stay busy. Since starting a prison sentence in 2013, he has sought out every opportunity to work, to learn and to help. He has trained dogs for adoption through Puppies for Parole. He has served as a daily living assistant, helping fellow offenders who have medical conditions or disabilities. He has practiced meditation, anger management and sobriety. He has studied auto mechanics and earned diesel mechanics certification. He has worked as a food handler, a landscaper, a warehouse attendant, a recreation attendant, a referee, an office clerk and a canteen clerk. Now, thanks to the team at Algoa Correctional Center, he's nearly ready for his biggest challenge: release.
In August, Algoa Institutional Activity Coordinator Meryl Miller and Functional Unit Manager Matt Klumper teamed up with Jamie Dennis from the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to launch a new program.The reentry program, a prison chapter of Save Our Sons, preps offenders with employability skills and life skills pre-release and then supports them through the vast Urban League network when they return to the community.
Dennis, director of the Save Our Sons program, was a long-time fixture of resource fairs at Algoa, known for drawing a crowd of curious offenders at each visit. To Miller and Klumper, expanding the relationship seemed like a natural next step.
|
Waddy is one of a dozen Algoa offenders taking part in the pilot program, which National Urban League President Marc Morial traveled to Jefferson City from New York to help launch. Morial hopes the Algoa pilot can serve as a national model for reentry.
Cabin Creek Films also was on site for the program launch to begin shooting a documentary film about Urban League. Look for corrections staff soon on the big screen!
|
The Central Office personnel club raised funds to buy school supplies for area kids who need them. At the start of the school year, club leaders went on a shopping spree and then delivered folders, notebooks, pencils, pens, tissues, cleaning supplies and backpacks to Callaway Hills Elementary School.
|
Jefferson City Correctional Center's personnel club joined forces with offender organizations and raised more than $5,200 to fund backpacks filled with school supplies and buddy packs filled with nutritious snacks for mid-Missouri kids. Staff delivered the packs to Fatima, East, Pioneer Trails and Lawson elementary schools.
|
Organized by the personnel club and recreation team, Southeast Correctional Center's Aug. 21 Facility Appreciation Day gave the SECC team's family family and friends a behind-the-scenes look at the institution. More than 100 guests joined the party, partaking in food, fun and facility tours. Staff also participated in team-building games and stress-relief activities.
|
Dana Peters, an administrative coordinator in Probation and Parole District 27, is the Missouri Department of Corrections employee of the month for August 2019. Peters knows how to get things done. When an arsonist attacked the District 27 office in the wee hours of the morning, Peters was on site at the crack of dawn to help assess the damage, coordinate a response and get things up and running again. Within hours, cleaning supplies had been delivered, and contractors, insurance representatives and a restoration crew were on site. By the end of the day, she had found solutions to technical problems to ensure that security camera footage was in the hands of local law enforcement, that staff had an entry/exit solution circumventing a damaged keypad, and that staff had computer access, whether working offsite or in the conference room during cleanup. Peters’ speed, efficiency and ingenuity are an example to the department.
|
Doris Falkenrath has been named warden of Fulton Reception, Diagnostic & Correctional Center, effective Aug. 25. A Missouri Department of Corrections employee since 1999, Falkenrath has served as Corrections Officer I and II; corrections classification assistant; case manager; functional unit manager; volunteer services coordinator; and department recruiter at locations throughout mid-Missouri. She became deputy warden at FRDC in 2018.
During a four-year break in service, she also served as a security officer in the United States Army.
Falkenrath holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Columbia College and a master's degree in human resource management from Webster University.
|
Bill Stange has been named warden of Potosi Correctional Center, effective Sept. 22.
A member of the corrections team since 1993, Stange has worked as a Corrections Officer I and II at Renz Correctional Center, Corrections Caseworker I and II at Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center; functional unit manager at Northeast Correctional Center; and assistant warden and, most recently, deputy warden at Southeast Correctional Center.
Stange holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University.
|
The Missouri State Employees Charitable Campaign (MSECC) annual unified fundraising effort is underway. Last year Missouri state government staff raised more than $1 million for community organizations that help fellow Missourians. Contribute through a payroll deduction or a one-time gift.
|
Corrections staff are finding fellowship through the Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri Adrian Support Groups. Organized by former corrections officer Rev. Richard Litzau and prison ministry vicar Rev. Joesph Corel, the group is designed to help corrections professionals better cope with the stresses of their jobs. Membership is open to all corrections staff, regardless of religious affiliation. Meetings are held in Jefferson City. Contact 573-635-7719 or info@cccnmo.org for details.
|
More than two dozen offenders were indicted by a DeKalb County grand jury for their involvement in the May 2018 riot at Crossroads Correctional Center. The grand jury returned charges related to property damage, violence against other inmates and unlawfully operating a forklift. The central services building at Crossroads sustained approximately $1.3 million in damage during the events of May 12-13, 2018.
Department of Corrections staff invested hundreds of work hours in identifying participants in the events and the specific illegal acts they committed.Thank you to all staff who helped in the investigation as well as the members of the corrections team whose quick thinking and smart decisions that night kept colleagues safe. Special thanks to our Award of Valor winners.
The consolidation of Crossroads Correctional Center with Western Missouri Correctional Center was completed July 12. No offenders are currently housed at Crossroads, though some staff continue to work in the facility while it’s in caretaker status.
Big thanks to everyone who took part in the "Supporting Our Own" Bike Ride Fundraiser and bike show, which brought in $5,045 for the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation. CPOF, a national nonprofit, provides support for the families of corrections officers killed in the line of duty and offers assistance to families facing catastrophic illnesses and other hardships
|
Harvest season is underway in Missouri correctional centers! Send us your photos of Restorative Justice Gardens and/or the fresh fruits and vegetables harvested from them and donated to food banks, shelters and other organizations.
Thank you, corrections team, for all you do to help feed fellow Missourians.
|
Apply for jobs online! Future and current members of the corrections team now have the option to search and apply for job openings using a new mobile-device-friendly application powered by Applicant Pro. Job-seekers can submit applications on a computer, tablet or cell phone. No PDFs required. Check it out »
Visitor applications also now are available online. As of Sept. 3, 2019, family members and friends of offenders can complete visitor applications using a computer or cell phone. Information entered automatically populates a database for ease of processing. Access the application here »
 What are we doing? Where are we going? What does it mean for you and your job? Take a look at our strategic plan and initiatives for the latest updates on the department's priorities for fiscal years 2020-2021.
Your great work is making headlines! Check out news media coverage of staff accomplishments in programming, reentry, giving back and more.
Staff
Faith
Workforce Development
|
Mission
Improving Lives for Safer Communities
Vision
Excellence in Corrections for a Safer Missouri
Values
We value safe work environments, a capable workforce and reduced risk and recidivism.
We value integrity and respect.
We value supportive leadership.
We value employee participation and teamwork.
|
