Minnesota Prisons lockdown due to short staffing

 MPR is reporting that:

Minnesota prisons resort to periodic lockdowns due to staff shortage

Of course anyone working in a County jail is also too aware of this. This leads to unsafe conditions for both staff and inmates.

MPR goes on to say-

The state prison at Faribault is in the midst of having periodic lockdowns due to staffing shortages. During the lockdowns, inmates are kept in their cell blocks. Faribault is down 42 corrections officers. It’s worse at Stillwater state prison, where the facility’s complement of officers is down by 62.

Data from the Department of Corrections shared with MPR News shows as of Monday, the agency is short 211 correctional officers, or 12 percent of what is budgeted. Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to explain what is happening inside Minnesota’s prisons.

Link to story and audio here.

3 Corrections Officers shot during escape

 

"Three Idaho Department of Corrections officers were shot as an inmate escaped from a hospital in Boise. Now, officials are looking for two suspects: The inmate and the man who attacked and fired at the officers.

Police say that the incident started at 2.15am on Wednesday when officials transported inmate Skylar Meade to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for medical treatment.

As the officers were preparing to transport the inmate back to a correctional facility, an unknown suspect attacked and fired at the officers, hitting two of them, according to officials.

Additional officers responded to the hospital amid news of a shooting and the facility went into lockdown as police searched for suspects. One officer fired his gun at an armed individual near the entrance of the facility. Officials later determined that the person was a correctional officer." -The Independent

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Pension Commission update and LELS shenanigan's

Today the Pension Commission met and discussed the change from 1.9% to 2.2% for the PERA Correctional Plan's multiplier. 

Anoka County Sheriff Wise gave excellent testimony in support. There was also a letter of support from MNCORA. The  Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) had a letter opposing it. Ultimately it was laid over, tabled for the future.

As most of you know there's once again a play to add Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan. Well in addition to Jim Mortenson's letter supporting this LELS is actively working to weaken our plan! 

Here's a picture of LELS meeting with the Author of HF4796 to raid our pension!

I don't believe LELS even  talked to their Detention Deputies and CO's about this!

PERA Board decision on PERA Correctional Plan Raid

On March 14 the PERA Board met and discussed the proposal by AFSCME, LELS and Teamsters to add 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan.

Ultimately they decided to oppose it. This does not stop the Pension Commission  from moving forward on it, but may help to stop it.

MN State Auditor Julie Blaha

During the discussion PERA Board Trustee and State Auditor Julie Blaha moved to delay a PERA Board vote until the April meeting. She stated that unless there's a Bill there was no need to make a decision. It was then pointed out that there was a Bill and a decision needed to be made as to PERA's position. Auditor Blaha knew or should have known there was a Bill before the meeting. It is this writers opinion she was playing politics and didn't want a negative PERA decision to affect the Pension Commission on this.

The strange politics is this. The Pension Commission just had a study they ordered on this topic. It was the 911 Telecommunicator Pension Benefits Working Group.

The working group decided NOT to support adding Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan.

Yet this year some of the same legislators that ordered the study are ignoring its findings and writing Bills to add Dispatchers to the Correctional plan to its detriment.

Sen Seeberger

Chief Author of SF4958 is Senator Seeberger more Correctional Officers live in her district than any other district in the State! Not a bright political move from someone who won her seat by the slimmest of majorities. Her District includes the Washington County Jail, Stillwater Prison and Oak Park Heights! Also many Ramsey County Detention Deputies work in her district. Many Stillwater CO's and Oak Park Heights CO's work part time at the Ramsey county jail and are also in the PERA Correctional Plan!

Both her and Author Sen. Sandy Pappas are on the very same

Sen Pappas

Pension Commission that commissioned the 911 Telecommunicator Pension Benefits Working Group. Yet they chose to IGNORE its findings! Then why waste taxpayer money on a study if you're going to toss it aside because its conclusions are not to your liking?

The House File HF4796 was authored by a new Representative, Representative Dan Wolgamott. Again many Correctional Officers live in his district and many are employed at the Saint Cloud Prison, Benton County jail and Sherburne County jail!

Rep Wolgamott

The bottom line is the The Correctional Plan was established in 1999 for correctional officers serving in county and regional adult and juvenile correctional facilities due to the physical nature of their jobs. The members of this plan are responsible for the security, custody and control of the facilities and their inmates. (PERACorrectional Plan Handbook)

Dispatchers do not fit the requirements to be in the Correctional Plan. Adding them will reduce the financial health of the plan and may cause Correctional Retirees to have their 2.5% COLA reduced to 1.5%. 

Legislators supporting these bills should keep in mind there are thousands of CO's in the State and they vote. Don't raid our Pension!

Here is the contact information for the Pension Commission. Call them and tell them not to support these Bills!

AFSCME, LELS and Teamsters Local 320 support raid on PERA Correctional Plan

Jim Mortenson of LELS, Bart Andersen of AFSCME Council 5 and Brian Aldes of Teamsters Local 320 have all written letters of support to add 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan.

Jim Mortenson

Source PERA-https://mnpera.org/wp-content/uploads/TAB-C-2024-Stakeholder-Agenda-911-Telecommunicators-Final.pdf

If allowed this would endanger the financial stability of the PERA Correctional Plan and endanger the 2.5% COLA that PERA Correctional Plan retirees enjoy. The Dispatchers currently get a 1.5% COLA.

Surprisingly there are 2 bills that would benefit PERA Correctional members.

HF4242 which would add a PERA Correctional Plan member to the PERA Board.

HF4081 which would increase the high 5 multiplier for PERA Correctional Plan members from 1.9%, where its been since 1999, to 2.2%. This number is the same as State Correctional Officer receive in the MSRS plan.

Brian Aldes

WHERE IS LELS, AFSCME AND TEAMSTERS SUPPORT OF THE BILLS BENEFITTING THEIR CORRECTIONAL MEMBERS?

THEY ARE AWARE OF THESE BILLS AND SIT ON THE SIDELINES WHILE COLLECTING THEIR DUES.

THERE ARE MORE CO'S IN THESE UNIONS THAN DISPATCHERS. MAYBE IT'S TIME CO's RETHINK THEIR UNION MEMBERSHIP

Pension News

There's a new legislative session and with it new bills affecting our pension.

There's Bill HF4342 which if enacted will add a seat on the PERA Board for a CO. This is coming from MNCORA.

Bill HF4081 which if enacted will increase the high 5 multiplier for the PERA Correctional Pension from 1.9 to 2.2%.

And of course with a new session comes a new attempt by LELS to raid our pension and add 911 telecommunicators. If enacted the added cost could lower our funding ratio reducing the current Retiree cost of living adjustment (COLA) from the current 2.5% to 1.5%!

LELS Executive Director Jim Mortenson has been making the rounds trying to get other unions to support this. I have no idea why LELS would work to weaken the pension of Corrections Officers.

LELS Jim Mortenson

We encourage everyone who is in the PERA Correctional Plan to join the Minnesota Correctional Officer Retirement Association (MNCORA). It is dues free!

email mncora@protonmail.com

Inmate charged with 4th Degree Assault on Detention Deputy

An inmate at the Dakota County Adult Detention Center has been charged with 4th degree assault after throwing "an unknown liquid and human feces" at a Detention Deputy.

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