 Stanley Andrisse, the Executive Director of P2P, and Basia Skudrzyk, the Employment Navigator at the St. Patrick Center, visited TCSTL in February to discuss a potential partnership to provide services at the facility. The Prison-to-Professionals (P2P) Program offers educational/career readiness training and peer mentoring to justice involved individuals.
COI Crystal Evans was awarded the Training Director’s Coin of Excellence. This is the second time in the last four months that a TCSTL staff member has received such an honor.
 The fourth Arrest Team Expansion training class took place in Kansas City from February 15th to the 25th. However, due to a snow storm, the certification process could not be completed until March 14th. Staff from two Kansas City offices (D4 and 4C), along with staff from District 2 and 3 completed their certification to begin making arrests on clients assigned to their districts. The training took place at the Kansas City Police Department’s Training Academy and was presented by the University of Missouri Police Academy trainers. All staff who attended were certified in floor fighting, cuffing, escort techniques, transportation and Tasers. With the certification of this class, 48 additional Probation and Parole officers in 7 new districts (District 3, 4, 4C, 8S, 10, 24 and 42) will begin making arrests on their assigned clients. They will join the original Districts (2 and ERV) in the Arrest Process.
After the recent tragic event involving three Joplin Police Department officers being shot, PO Kimberly Traver headed up a fundraiser to raise money for the fallen and wounded officers’ families. Kimberly, with the help of others, organized a very successful T-shirt sale. Many P&P team members and local law enforcement throughout the SW Region and beyond, stepped up and purchased a T-shirt. The event was a huge success and raised over $3500! It’s a privilege to be part of a team who has so much care and support for their local communities. -DA Matt Merrill |
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For the month of March, District 6 had two successful celebrations of the ICTS (Improving Community Treatment Success) program in Columbia, MO. District 6 and Compass Health were able to celebrate both men during two separate events.
Jerimiah entered into the ICTS program April 27, 2021 after his previous officer recognized his need for an outpatient substance program, which could help him eliminate housing issues and support him during his journey to change his thinking about his substance usage. Jerimiah struggled at first engaging in the program, with his attendance in required groups and scheduled meetings with his ICTS team. After a 2 hour ride with his peer specialist and 21 day inpatient stay in Residential Treatment, Jerimiah began to focus on positive changes in his supervision and substance use. Jerimiah allowed the ICTS team to help him stay sober, maintain a job (he has promoted in), secure housing on his own, and build a future and path within a community he looks differently at now.
The second graduate, Justin entered into the ICTS program on May 18, 2021 after his previous officer asked him to take a chance in a program that was intense for outpatient substance usage. Justin had a main barrier in the ICTS program, which was different than others, he needed extra motivation to work on changing the ways he viewed substance usage. Justin had attended several different inpatient treatments with return to usage as soon as he left. When Justin graduated this month he spoke to other ICTS members, “Take each day one day at a time. This is the first program I have completed that I don’t have a plan to use when I walk out the door. Allow your team to support you and trust that your PO is part of your team.” Justin works with his family at a family business and he is looking forward to his future. District 6 is proud of both men and their accomplishments inside and outside of the ICTS program. Success is the last word in ICTS, but it the first word we start encouraging our clients to strive for.
Congratulations Jerimiah and Justin!
 Camden County Treatment Court has some exciting news! Participant Michael B. is a recent graduate of the Camden County Treatment Court as the first ever mental health candidate. Browning was taken on to see if he could be successful within the program. PO Reeves has worked hard alongside the treatment team to not only help make this program a success but to ensure the success of her clients. Camden County Treatment Court is comprised of Drug Court, DWI Court and Veterans Court. With this successful graduation the Treatment Court team is contemplating the addition of a Mental Health Court caseload in the near future.
Pictured left to right: LACAB Representative Rhonda Spooner, PO Tammy Reeves, Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Smith, Circuit Judge Aaron Koeppen, PO Bryan Byler, Michael B., CPS Representative Dusty Hill.
Congratulations Michael!
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Aaron Leonard was promoted to Lieutenant at TCKC.
Congratulations Aaron!
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Robin Martin was promoted to Storekeeper II at TCKC.
Congratulations Robin!
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Eddis Jackson was promoted to Institutional Activities Coordinator
at TCKC.
Congratulations Eddis!
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Dominique Kizine was promoted to Unit Supervisor at District 4W.
Congratulations Dominique!
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Harlee Goodwater was promoted to Unit Supervisor at District 5W.
Congratulations Harlee!
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Rachel McDowell was promoted to Unit Supervisor at District 27.
Congratulations Rachel!
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Kristen Hart was promoted to Unit Supervisor at District 10R.
Congratulations Kristen!
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Julie Shumate was promoted to SOSA at District 5B.
Congratulations Julie!
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Christina McCarthy was promoted to District Administrator at
District 12/CSC.
Congratulations Christina!
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Jason Honerkamp was promoted to Unit Supervisor at District 36.
Congratulations Jason!
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Jennifer Boone was promoted to AOSA at District 10.
Congratulations Jennifer!
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The August 2021 Employee of the Month for the North Central Region is Probation and Parole Officer David White. Officer White was nominated for the Employee of the Month by District 29 Probation and Parole Officer Kimi Snapp and reads as follows:
There are many reasons as to why Dave White should be recognized for his dedication to the Department of Corrections with Probation and Parole. A few of these reasons include Dave’s charismatic attitude by the way he inspires his coworkers and many others he comes into contact with. Dave’s confidence sheds a positive light every time he enters a room, he automatically grabs everyone’s attention and knows how to make people feel comfortable and welcomed. Dave’s ability to remain positive in all situations makes it possible for others to stay humble and motivated for the work we each do for the Department of Corrections. Moreover, Dave has vital coaching skills that are necessary to build the confidence in his co-workers ability to do their jobs exquisitely. Dave has always made himself available to coworkers when they are in need of help or assistance; for examples, when coworkers need a field partner, helping with tech issues, or simply needing advice on how to handle a specific situation. Furthermore, I have not witnessed anyone more devoted to improving the lives of our clients than Dave is. Dave has such a natural approach with his clients and even other clients that he immediately gains the respect and trust from them that allow them to open up more and reach their goals for a positive change in their lives and our communities. Dave has the compelling attitude, key coaching skills, and efficacy to improve the lives of our clients for a safer community. Dave has the integrity, respect, leadership, and teamwork values to provoke our vision in excellence in corrections for a safer Missouri. I cannot think of anyone better or more deserving than David White for this recognition, and I believe I can speak on the behalf of our office as well.
**Fun story-one day while doing community visits Dave offered to mow the lawn of an elderly lady. The lady had to be at least in her 80’s while push mowing her lawn on a warm day, so Dave, being the kind man he is, stopped to offer his helping hand.
Pictured are North Central Regional Administrator Ed Bestgen and PO David White.
Congratulations David!
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The North Central Regional Employee of the Month for November 2021, is Senior Office Support Assistant Erica Ratliff from District 29. SOSA Ratliff was nominated for the Employee of the Month by District 29 Probation and Parole Unit Supervisor Brandy Munson and reads as follows:
In February 2021, Districts 29 and 32 merged into one large district. As the Senior Office Support Assistant for the District 32 offices, Erica was responsible for ensuring all information for approximately 1,000 offenders, information for 25 staff and program information was transferred properly in all computer systems utilized by our division. She worked well beyond her normal work hours and on the weekends to ensure the merger of the districts went as smoothly as possible. As complications arose, Erica promptly took responsibility to find a solution.
During the same time as the merger, she was training new clerical staff in Lexington and in Marshall which required her to divide her time between both offices. Erica had previously created her own training guide for new Office Support Assistants so she was able to share this with the new staff. Her guide has become so popular that clerical supervisors in other districts have relied upon Erica for assistance when new OSAs are being trained. Her active participation on the Clerical Task Force has made Erica a bastion of knowledge for clerical staff as well as POs across the state.
In addition to working tirelessly on the merger and training new staff, Erica has been part of the MOCIS (Missouri Corrections Integrated System) F-Track team. The MOCIS F-Track team has been responsible for testing modules for the entire system to "go live" by the end of this calendar year. This has required Erica to sort through a significant amount of data to determine if the information would transfer correctly from one module to the next.
She met these challenges in a straight forward manner with a smile and her common response of "I'll take care of that" and she has without a doubt taken care of all the "thats" which have crossed her desk or computer monitor. For these reasons, and so many more, I feel that Erica Ratliff is most deserving to be recognized for going well above and beyond her routine duties
Pictured are North Central Regional Administrator Ed Bestgen and District 29 SOSA Erica Ratliff
Congratulations Erica!
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Please join me in congratulating JD Presswood, who has been named as the Southwest Region Employee of the Month for November 2021!! In the nomination form submitted in support of your selection, by DA James Long, the following comments were made:
JD Presswood began his career February 2011 as a Probation Officer at District 10. JD worked diligently which gained him a promotion to Unit Supervisor in 2017 for District 10N. JD is a member of the Unit Supervisor workload reduction committee and has been a long time ICOTS supervisor and is deeply invested in the ICTS program. JD has supervised Polk County Officers since promoting in 2017 and has an excellent rapport with Court personnel in this County.
Due to staff shortages, JD routinely has carried an overload of officers, supervising both Greene County and Dallas County officers at times. He is currently covering a caseload, and has been for quite some time. In addition to the development and onboarding of new staff, you can often find JD at the front window answering phones and assisting the understaffed clerical team. JD continues to be a staple to his District and focuses all efforts to maintain a firm foundation and consistent growth for his clients and staff.
Congratulations JD!
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The North Central Regional Employee of the Month for March 2022, is Probation and Parole Officer II Ed Harper from District 29. PPOII Harper was nominated for the Employee of the Month by District 29 Probation and Parole Unit Supervisor Sarah Lee and reads as follows:
I would like to nominate PO Ed Harper for consideration as Employee of the Quarter. Ed works at the Marshall office and oversees a regular caseload in the Malta Bend and Sweet Springs areas, as well as parolees enrolled in the Fresh Start program. Recently, following the resignation of another officer, Ed re-assumed supervision of approximately 10 additional clients from Marshall. Although he is still new to the field of P&P, Ed is a very eager learner and displays a consistent drive to improve. He will readily seek out information from his coworkers and supervisor. If Ed does not immediately know the correct answer or which actions to take, he will first refer to policy and his notes from training in an attempt to resolve the issue independently. Afterward, if he is still unsure, Ed will discuss what he reviewed before asking for clarification and direction. Should Ed make a mistake, he is usually the first to notice and will almost immediately request corrective feedback. Most often, Ed only requires redirection once, as he will then update his notes for future reference.
Ed demonstrates an un-wavering level of commitment to his job: he arrives early every morning, does not procrastinate completion of tasks, never balks at sudden or unexpected influxes of work, and maintains an upbeat attitude. Ed is considerate of the wellbeing of those around him, vigilant, and safety conscious. Last year, he obtained a donated cabinet to store officers' body armor and installed a padlock. Ed never hesitates to assist his coworkers in any way, whether it be collecting UAs, meeting with clients on behalf of another officer, helping move furniture and supplies, or helping complete tasks to meet deadlines. Ed communicates positive regard for clients, even those who cause him to feel frustration. He engages with each person in a pleasant and constructive manner and actively listens. A few days ago, I overheard a client say to Ed on his way out of the office, "Thank you for being patient with me". It is abundantly clear that Ed wishes the best for each offender he comes into contact with. Just a while ago, Ed obtained two donated coats and offered them to a client whose only winter coat had been damaged and was no longer able to be worn. Ed also coordinates exceptionally well with treatment providers, making weekly contact with staff and residents at the Fresh Start house, and he appears knowledgeable of resources available in the area. Overall, PO Ed Harper has proven himself to be an asset to the Marshall office since joining the Department 18 months ago. Thank you Ed for all you do!!
Pictured are North Central Regional Administrator Ed Bestgen and District 29 Probation and Parole Officer II Ed Harper.
Congratulations Ed!
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 Debbie Lammers – District 17 – 14 years
Meritt Samson – Board Operations – 27 years
April Traylor – District 4 – 27 years
Lorrie Tennison – District 9B – 27 years
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District 6 – OSA Teresa Rossbach
District 7B – PO Megan Hurt, PO Robin Jones, PO Jaxon Mader, PO Travis Matthews and PO Melissa Fleming
District 10N – PO Cherich Wrede and US Kyle Isenberg
District 11 – PO Brandy Christman
District 12 – PO Jason Honerkamp, PO Nathaniel Terrill and PO Dena Hart
District 26 P&P WERDCC – OSA Michelle Dorman
District 42 – US Denise Bonilla
Eastern Region – Storekeeper Reed Burnell
Central Office – Administration Deputy Director John Mosley
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