DOC orders Ramsey County Jail to reduce capacity

KSTP:  For the second time this week, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has ordered a county jail to reduce capacity, citing multiple violations.

Friday, the DOC ordered the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center to submit a capacity reduction plan by the end of the day Monday.

It comes after the department said it investigated a complaint regarding multiple licensing rule violations stemming from inadequate staffing levels at the jail. Those violations included the facility’s refusal to take inmates to get offsite emergency medical care.

“As the state’s licensing authority, any risk to the life and safety of those in custody must be addressed immediately,” DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said. “When the stakes are this high, taking decisive action quickly is a must.”

Full Story on KSTP

Have you received your PERA ballot?

If you are a PERA member, PERA is in the midst of the Board election.

I am running for the Retirees, Disabled and Survivors beneficiaries seat and would greatly appreciate your support.

More about me here: https://mncoretirementassociation.blogspot.com/2023/01/vote-wade-laszlo-for-pera-board.html

You can vote electronically or by mail. My understanding is ballots must be post marked by January 31st.

I have heard from a couple of people they have not yet received their ballot. If not call PERA at 651 652-9026

Thank you,

Wade

PERA Ballots out and opposition

Ballots are in the mail for the PERA Board election. The MNCORA Board has endorsed me for the Retired, Disabled and Survivors seat. 

See this post-https://mncoretirementassociation.blogspot.com/2023/01/vote-wade-laszlo-for-pera-board.html

There is another person also running. Dennis Flaherty, former police officer and former head of the MPPOA.

In the late 90's when we were working on creating the PERA Correctional plan the MPPOA under Dennis Flaherty's leadership opposed it!

In 2017 LELS/MPPOA backed DECREASING the PERA Correctional COLA from 2.5% to 1%. They wanted to "share the pain" to help bolster the weaker PERA Pensions like Police and Fire. Fortunately I was at that meeting and was able to stop it.

As recently as last year the MPPOA supported legislation to add Dispatchers to the Correctional plan and submitted a letter of support along with several letters from their LELS members. While Dennis Flaherty was no longer with the MPPOA it shows their continued disdain for for Correctional Officers and they view our healthy pension as one to be raided to bolster others. 

Police and Fire already have a dedicated seat on the PERA Board. There are no Correctional Officers on the PERA Board.

I personally attend PERA Board meetings. I have never seen Dennis Flaherty at any of them!

My seat will require representing Retired, Disabled and Survivors, I will treat that responsibility with all the passion I had representing members as a Union steward. I will have a vote on all issues coming before the PERA Board.

The PERA Correctional plan has about $1 Billion in it and no dedicated voice. 

We need a CO's point of view. Police and Fire already have one dedicated seat.

I will represent all PERA members without trying to bolster one group at the detriment of another.

I would appreciate your support when you receive your ballot.

Wade Laszlo

President MNCORA

MNCORA

Website

Blog

Wade Laszlo for PERA Board

 

I am running for the Public Employees Retirement Association Board (PERA).

Ballots will be arriving at your home January 2-10, 2023.

If elected I will represent the Retirees, Disabled and Survivor beneficiaries of the PERA pension with all of the passion I have given to the members in my previous stewardship's.

I would greatly appreciate your vote.

Experience:

Detention Deputy, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office,  Hennepin County Jail 1990 to 2016.

Union Steward Teamsters Local 320 mid 1990's - 2011.

Elected as a National Delegate to the 2011 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Convention.

Union Steward Minnesota Public Employees Association (MNPEA) 2011-2015.

Served as an advisor to the Minnesota Senate's Telecommunicators Pension Benefits Working Group  2021.

President Minnesota Correctional Officer Retirement Association MNCORA  

Over the years I have negotiated numerous Labor Contracts with Hennepin County.

I have represented members in grievances both contractual and disciplinary.

I attend the PERA meetings and stay on top of our issues.

 

I will support strong investment returns to keep the plans well funded and achieve maximum COLA's.

I would greatly appreciate your vote and will work hard for you.

Wade Laszlo

 

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas!

Dec 8 PERA meeting-reposted from MNCORA Blog

 I attended the PERA meeting on December 8th. As you can imagine with the markets being the way they are the PERA Correctional Plan fund performed at a -6.4% for 2022. Compare that to a +30.3% in 2021.

In short our fund lost money last year. 

Currently the Actuarial Rate of Return (expected income from investments) is at 7.5% (set by the legislature) . Because of what the markets are doing PERA recommended that the legislature investment return assumption be lowered to between 5.64 and 6.55. This does not reflect what money actually comes in but gives PERA an idea of how healthy the funds are.

If the actuarial return assumptions do end up in the 6% range it's possible for our funding to drop below 85%. If that happens for more than 2 years our COLA drops down to 1-1.5% depending on the Social Security Cost of living! Currently we're at 2.5%! PERA Executive Director Doug Anderson pointed out if our COLA drops there is NO mechanism to bring it back up to 2.5% without legislative action.

Because of that I believe that in addition to pushing for our PERA Pension and Social Security to be exempt from the Minnesota State Tax I think MNCORA should push to add a mechanism to raise our COLA back up if it drops when the economy improves.

This was PERA's last meeting until February 16th 2023 when the new PERA Board is set. As you know I was endorsed by MNCORA for the Retired, Disabled and Survivor Representative seat. I would appreciate your vote when the Ballots come out in January. 

Wade Laszlo

President MNCORA

Reposted from MNCORA Blog

Final word on retiree insurance for Hennepin County

 I contacted BRI by phone and they said Hennepin County HR was handling retiree enrollment. I then called HR and they said current employees must actively enroll, but retirees will automatically be enrolled unless they are making changes. So if you're not changing coverage according to them you don't have to do a thing.

Hennepin County Retiree Insurance update

 I just received my letter from BRI, the company that handles retiree (COBRA) health insurance for Hennepin County. According to the letter if I am making no changes to my plan "No changes? You do not need to do anything." This is not what Hennepin County HR told me. I will call BRI after the Holiday weekend and confirm. See the letter below:

Cross posted at the MNCORA blog

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Hennepin County Retiree Health Insurance Alert

 I received a call today from a former co-worker. She asked if I was getting the Hennepin County Health Insurance as a retiree. I said yes. She asked if I knew I had to renew during open enrollment by December 6th or I'd be cancelled. I did not. I called Hennepin County Human Resources 612 348-7855. 

I was informed that Hennepin County had changed vendors for health insurance and now annual renewal was to be 'affirmative enrollment' to continue. She said letters would be going out in the next week or two.

That's not a lot of time!

Watch your mail for the Health Insurance enrollment and send it back ASAP! Do not miss it and lose your insurance. In the past enrollment was automatic.

(Cross posted on the MNCORA Blog)

Happy Veterans Day!

 To all who served, Thank You!

Running for the PERA Board!

I submitted the paperwork to be on the Ballot of the PERA Board (Public Employees Retirement Association) earlier this month. 

I am running for the Retired, Disabled and Survivor representative seat.

If elected I would be the first (to my knowledge) retired corrections officer to serve on the PERA Board.

Experience:

Detention Deputy, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office,  Hennepin County Jail 1990 to 2016.

Union Steward Teamsters Local 320 mid 1990's - 2011.

Elected as a National Delegate to the 2011 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Convention.

Union Steward Minnesota Public Employees Association (MNPEA) 2011-2015.

Served as an advisor to the Minnesota Senate's Telecommunicators Pension Benefits Working Group  2021.

President Minnesota Correctional Officer Retirement Association MNCORA  

Over the years I have negotiated numerous Labor Contracts with Hennepin County.

I have represented members in grievances both contractual and disciplinary.

I attend the PERA meetings and stay on top of our issues.

If elected I will represent the Retirees, Disabled and Survivor beneficiaries of the PERA pension with all of the passion I have to the members in my previous stewardship's.

I will support strong investment returns to keep the plans well funded and achieve maximum COLA's.

Thank you to all of you who signed the nomination form. Here's the timeline of  event's leading to the election. The next step is to vote! 

Vote Wade Laszlo, PERA Board!

Election Timeline:

MPPOA's strange endorsement

Why is this on a blog relating to Corrections? Because LELS Corrections Officers are forced to pay into the MPPOA and the MPPOA has meddled in our business.

Now ALPHA NEWS is reporting that the MPPOA has endorsed Angie Craig for Congress! 

Among other things the article points out she supported the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and a 'staffer' encouraged donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund on her Twitter account.

She also accepted $5,000 from AOC's Super Pac, and Representative Alexandria Cortez is a leader in the defund the police movement.

The MPPOA under the leadership of Brian Peters seems to be taking the track of many of the larger Unions and endorsing politicians that don't seem to have the support of the rank and file or even the best interest of the Union. 

Sometimes things make no sense at all. For instance, readers of this blog will remember the MPPOA wrote a letter to the LCPR supporting 911 Telecommunicators being put into our PERA Correctional Plan. Yet no Dispatchers or Corrections Officers can be full members of the MPPOA, they can only be Associate members with no voting rights! So why was Brian Peters in our business?

Considering that Brian Peters last job was with Corporate America, the Target Corporation, before heading the MPPOA may shed some light on this.

Florida to use National Guard to assist short staffed jails

Just the News is reporting that Governor Desantis has activated the National Guard to assist in the State of Florida's jails.

They are to relieve overtime for nine months while more Corrections Officers are being recruited and trained.

They are seeking to attract highly skilled workers and are offering a $5,000 hiring bonus.

FULL STORY

Vaccine Mandate Fallout

As you know Hennepin County as well as many Sheriff's Offices required employees, including CO's and Deputies to be vaccinated with the experimental Covid shot or be fired. I wrote about this back in December, January, and March. 

Many CO's and Deputies left rather than take the jab, and that at a time of a critical shortage in both job classes.

Alpha News now has the story of Hennepin County Detective Stacy Braun (I knew him from his time working the jail) who quit rather than take the jab. It's a good read of the injustice done to those who were hailed as heros at the beginning of the pandemic than villainized by the end for refusing to take the shot, even though by then many had already had Covid.

How many good people left rather than submit to the shot or did submit and were harmed?

Not only was this wrong, but  I believe the Counties that did this are wide open for lawsuits from those harmed by the shots or were forced to leave.

Front-line worker pay denied?

This is a breaking story I'm working on. KSTP is reporting that around 214,000 people who applied for the Front-Line Worker pay were denied. Of that 42,687 were denied due to 'income too high.'

I'm hearing many CO's were denied the pay.

We all know that Detention Deputies/ Correctional Officers were the very definition of front-line workers. Working in close proximity with inmates, massive forced overtime, mandatory vaccinations, high Covid infection rates.

It would seem the very definition of who should be rewarded! My guess is many were disqualified, especially those at top pay, because the mandatory overtime pushed them over the income threshold. 

I'm guessing this is the same for others in Public Safety. 

I have reached out to the State asking how many of the following were denied due to too much income:

Corrections Officers/Detention Deputies

Police Officers/Sheriff's Deputies

Firefighters

Paramedics

Nurses

Doctors

If you were denied and work in one of these fields contact me at Wade.Laszlo@protonmail.com

If this turns out to be true it isn't right!

KSTP Story- https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/appeals-now-to-be-considered-for-214000-minnesotans-rejected-for-frontline-worker-pay/

Anoka County Detention Deputy Murdered on way to work

 From the Anoka County Sheriff's Office. RIP brother.

Anoka County Sheriff's Office 

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We remember Anoka County Sheriff's Office Detention Deputy Richard Legler. During the early morning hours on Saturday, August 9, 1986, Richard Legler and fellow Detention Deputy Anthony Hesch, were on their way to work at the Anoka County Jail. An unknown dark colored compact car pulled alongside Detention Deputy Legler’s vehicle and a shot was fired. The shot fired from the fleeing car entered Detention Deputy Legler’s driver’s side window and struck him in the left arm. Deputy Legler struggled to pull the vehicle over to the right side of the road. The round struck his left arm just behind his uniform patch and ultimately pierced his left lung.

The suspect was later found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It is believed that the suspect may have seen the jail uniforms worn by Legler and Hesch, and seeing the uniformed men could have triggered the shooting as no other cars had been reported shot at that morning.

At the time of his death, Detention Deputy Richard Legler was 38 years old and worked for the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office for approximately 3 years. He was survived by his parents, his sister, and brother-in-law.

Can a CO be denied an assignment based on race?

Can a CO be denied a duty assignment based on race?The answer is a resounding no!

KARE 11 is reporting that Ramsey County has reached a settlement with black CO's who were initially  told they couldn't even be on the same floor as Derek Chauvin when he was being booked into the Ramsey County jail!

Full story KARE 11

Judge decides watching inmates is not harassment!

 

This is an interesting news story. An inmate filed a restraining order against a CO! The judge decided that saying to an inmate, "I'm watching you"does not constitute a threat because it's part of correction officers duties!

FULL STORY KSTP

RIP Dan Schooley

 

I'm sad to pass on that Dan Schooley has passed away. He was a long time "coach" at the Hennepin County Jail and became a Detention Deputy when that position was ended, I believe around 2014. He was well liked and a good man. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Funeral service Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 10:30 AM at Hosanna Lutheran Church, 9600 163rd St W. DOOR 5, visitation from 9:30 to 10:30 AM prior to the service.

Here's his Obituary https://www.whitefuneralhomes.com/obituary/daniel-schooley-jr

RIP Dan

Inmate sentenced to death for murdering two correctional officers

A Georgia inmate slipped out of his cuffs during a transport in 2017. He subsequently got into the front of the bus, disarmed a CO and shot Sgt Christopher Monica and Sgt Curtis Billue killing them.

Inmate Ricky Dubose was found guilty and sentenced to death last week. 

FULL STORY

RIP Sgt Christopher Monica and Sgt Curtis Billue.

Sgt Billue (left) Sgt Monica (rt)

Hennepin County Workhouse inmate survey

From Alpha News- 

"An internal survey given to inmates at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility refers to them as “residents.”

The survey, sent to all incarcerated inmates in May, asked for feedback on the correctional facility’s current conditions, living standards, quality of care, programs, and services.

“This survey gives you an opportunity to have your say about your experience and what could be done to make things better at this facility. Your answers will be used to understand current living conditions and to make recommendations for making changes to this facility,” it says.

One section on quality of life in particular asks inmates how much they agree or disagree on whether “relationships between staff and residents in this facility are good,” whether they “personally get on well with the officers in [their] cell section/block,” and whether they are treated “as a person of value.”

Inmates are also asked for their thoughts on the following statements:

• My experience of imprisonment in this particular facility has been stressful.
• If you do something wrong in this facility, staff only use punishments. They do not try other options first.
• My experience in this facility is painful.
• Decisions in this facility are dominated by concerns about security.
• This is a decent facility."

FULL STORY-ALPHA NEWS

Why? I understand the Administration wanting a handle on things but wow! Referring to inmates as 'residents' is a joke. They are incarcerated, they are inmates, not there by choice. They are told when to lock in, clean, eat. Visitors are regulated, this is not an apartment. 

The questions are telling- 

• My experience of imprisonment in this particular facility has been stressful. I would think it is stressful. Kind of the idea of punishment.
• If you do something wrong in this facility, staff only use punishments. They do not try other options first. They are there because they did something wrong. Who would expect they suddenly become rules followers because they are incarcerated. The punishment should be up to CO's following the rules. Options are don't get convicted of a crime.
• My experience in this facility is painful. *see question 1.
• Decisions in this facility are dominated by concerns about security. Yes! Safety and security are job one! Both staff and inmates need to be safe.
• This is a decent facility. Decent? What? I hope they mean safe, clean and orderly.

Why is this happening, further in the article is the key- Scott Wasserman, communications manager for the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation, told Alpha News the survey results are meant to help the county “develop a master plan to reimagine the [Adult Corrections Facility] in the next 20 years.”

 It's to reimagine! Ah,that woke term reimagine, just like all the cities that have 'reimagined' their police which led to spikes in crime! 

The article says they hired the DLR Group to get feedback gathered from residents, staff, justice and community partners.

The DLR Group website is full of terms like 'equity.' There should never be equity between inmates and corrections officers. Inmates are incarcerated and have lost their rights for a period of time while they serve a sentence imposed by the courts, corrections officers are charged with maintaining safety and security, not equity. To blur those lines will create a dangerous environment for both CO's and inmates.

Pennington County CO's assaulted during attempted escape

This WCCO story outlines how things can go from routine to dangerous in seconds.

"According to the complaint, an officer was standing near a medication cart, asking if any inmates needed over-the-counter medications. Reinbold said he did, and came around the cart and grabbed the officer. He then allegedly knocked her to the floor so hard she “saw stars” and then grabbed her arms and dragged her across the floor. He continued to strike her while holding a white colored pencil, documents say.

Another officer approached him, and he forcefully shoved him into a wall. He told the officer to open the interior jail door, but the officer said he could not, because couldn’t feel his legs. Reinbold then grabbed the corrections badge from the officer’s chest and attempted to use it on the badge reader to open the door, the complaint states. However, the badge does not open the door to the jail.

A third officer came to the scene and, after failing to verbally deescalate the situation, deployed her Taser. However, the probes didn’t work because of the amount of clothing Reinbold was wearing. He did drop the pencil and eventually the officer used the Taser to stun the right side of his ribs."

FULL STORY WCCO

Pandemic Pay and other Corrections news

 Pandemic Pay: On April 29th MN Gov. Walz signed into law a bill giving bonus checks to 'front line worker' who worked through the pandemic. This bill includes Correctional Officers. The checks should amount to about $750. This is long overdue, and but will still take weeks to get.

Anoka County Jail inmate death: An inmate was found dead in his cell in the Anoka County Jail early morning on Thursday. The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office will be heading the investigation. Full Story.

Reward for capture: The U.S. Marshall has offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of an escaped Alabama inmate for the Jail Administrator that is accused of helping him. Full Story.

National Correctional Officer Week, the struggle continues

It's National Correctional Officers Week. 

CO's bore the brunt of the Covid pandemic with the highest rate of getting the disease than all other Public Employees. They are running at lower staffing levels than Police Departments with extremely high forced overtime.

At the time of this post the Minnesota Legislature is considering the Delete Eveything Amendment to the Omnibus Bill. There's something for Police and Fire, Teachers and State Corrections, but not PERA Local Corrections or the General Plan.

The Minnesota Correctional Officer Retirement Association has gone to bat for us-see post. 

What about the Unions claiming to represent CO's? 

A check of MNPEA's website shows support for Bills benefiting CO's along with Police and Fire.

What about the rest?

There's a coalition of Unions called PEPC, Public Employees Pension Coalition which includes AFSCME, Teamsters 320 and the AFLCIO which all have corrections groups. AFSCME acting on PEPC's behalf tried to get an employee contribution reduction for the General Plan, but ignored the CO's in their plan! The MPPOA and LELS actually tried to help Dispatch raid our pension and again are silent on trying to get any the same benefits for the CO's as Police and Fire. 

Unfortunately this National Correctional Officer Week like those of the past, finds CO's out of sight and out of mind.

For those of us who know the job, Thank You!

MNCORA letter of support

There are several bills that if passed would give among other things tax relief on pensions, Social Security and lower monthly employee contributions!

Please read the letter on the MNCORA Blog then contact your representatives. If passed, you could benefit now and in retirement!

MNCORA BLOG

Recent fights at Oak Park Heights MCF

 

Alpha news is reporting:

Violent crimes between inmates erupted at Minnesota’s only level five maximum security prison last month. Oak Park Heights is designed to house inmates who are extremely dangerous, chronically ill or a high-escape risk.

At least two attacks happened within weeks at Oak Park Heights, according to a source.

FULL STORY