2016 - michigan · the department’s 2016 agent of the year. bengelink is always willing to accept...

2016

Employee Appreciation BanquetMichigan Department of Corrections

Award Winners

Committed to Protect, Dedicated to Success

May 2016 2Special Edition

Director’s AwardShe was among the first at the Michigan

Department of Corrections to join a new statewide task force committed to protecting Michigan’s children from Internet predators.Last year, following 80 hours of intensive

training, she became the MDOC’s first certified forensic examiner.This week, Danelle Pigott, an agent with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, was recognized with both a Professional Excellence Award and the Director’s Award for her work to protect some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.“I can’t begin to express my surprise at such an honor,” Pigott said. “I’m so proud of the work I do, and I can truly say I love my job.”The Internet Crimes Against Children task force, or ICAC, is a collaborative effort

between Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Corrections that aims to find and prevent cyber crime.The MDOC’s seven ICAC agents are highly trained and are embedded with law enforcement units across the state to assist in high-tech investigations of offenders.The task force primarily targets child victimization crimes, but can also assist in investigating other cases that involve electronic devices.Pigott’s certification to become a forensic examiner will allow the department to perform intensive examinations of electronic devices suspected of being used by offenders for computer crimes while under MDOC supervision. It will also allow the department to move forward with investigations without having to wait for another investigator to become available, helping law enforcement agencies solve crimes faster. Pigott said she owes her success to the department’s administration, which has supported her efforts, and to her partners at Michigan State Police.She said she hopes her skills and training can be used to their utmost capacity to assist every MDOC employee or law enforcement officer who needs help.She said she plans to continue to learn and grow in her career.“I’m extremely grateful,” she said. “I was proud and accomplished to attain my certification, but nothing ends there. There’s always more to strive for... There’s always a next or new goal to achieve.”

Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Agent Danelle Pigott and MDOC Director Heidi Washington

May 2016 3


Special Edition

Corrections Officer of the YearAs a role model for new corrections officers, Craig

Altoft is well-respected among his Michigan Department of Corrections colleagues.Altoft, a corrections officer at Michigan Reformatory, was named the 2016 Corrections Officer of the Year in

February for his commitment to both the safety of his colleagues and prisoners, and his drive to serve as a mentor to new officers.He was honored for the achievement during the Employee Appreciation Banquet.The Michigan Correctional Officers’ Training Council, a group comprised of representatives from the MDOC, Michigan Corrections Organization, law enforcement and higher education, selected Altoft after interviewing candidates on Feb. 8.Altoft took charge when a fellow officer was wounded by a prisoner at Michigan Reformatory in Ionia in December and helped ensure he was safely transported out of the facility to an area hospital.His calm demeanor and knowledge of policy and procedures have helped ensure the safety of both staff and prisoners, and he has also served as a positive role model for new officers.Altoft began his career at Deerfield Correctional Facility in 1994 and joined Michigan Reformatory in 2009.Altoft was a member of the Emergency Response Team at Deerfield Correctional Facility, before its closure in 2009, and has continued to serve as a weapons trainer and mentor to new staff at Michigan Reformatory.

Michigan Reformatory Warden Carmen Palmer and Corrections Officer of the Year Craig Altoft

Corrections Officer of the Year finalistsCorrections Officer Paul Jensen, of Ionia Correctional Facility, is a 16-year veteran of the department and a 2011 recipient of the Director’s Professional Excellence Award in addition to other honors.

Corrections Officer Paul Schneider, of Thumb Correctional Facility, is a 21-year veteran of the department, who has displayed great patience and professionalism with youthful prisoners that has earned him the respect of both inmates and staff.

Corrections Officer Jeff Vanderkooy, of Muskegon Correctional Facility, is an 8-year veteran of the department.He is consistently one of the first officers to respond to calls for assistance and also helps the community through involvement in the Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Corrections Officer Rita Wise, of Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, is a nearly 20-year veteran of the department. She has assisted in the training of new officers and has implemented art and room standards programs for prisoners.

May 2016 4


Special Edition

Corrections Officer of the Year nominees• Tony Datto — Baraga Correctional Facility

• Timothy Donahue — Carson City Correctional Facility

• Stanley Dowell — Parnall Correctional Facility

• Daniel Etelamaki — Marquette Branch Prison

• Mark Fenn — Detroit Reentry Center

• Michael Gadzinski — Macomb Correctional Facility

• Bradley Gorman — Cooper Street Correctional Facility

• Tahachi Hardrick — Special Alternative Incarceration Facility, Men

• Gwendolyn Henderson — Detroit Detention Center

• Larry Henley — Alger Correctional Facility

• Isaiah Hope — Kinross Correctional Facility

• Jonathon Hugle — Absconder Recovery Unit

• Bobby James — West Shoreline Correctional Facility

• Deborah Johnson — Special Alternative Incarceration Facility, Women

• Brent Labadie — Newberry Correctional Facility

• Timothy Lemire — Oaks Correctional Facility

• Robert Lincoln — Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility

• Bradley Martin — Central Michigan Correctional Facility

• John Mills — G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility

• Jonathan Morley — St. Louis Correctional Facility

• Daun Muller — Transportation

• Dean Pavey — Woodland Center Correctional Facility

• Raymond Penney — Lake County Residential Reentry Program

• Scott Pollins — Lakeland Correctional Facility

• Angela Pratt — Saginaw Correctional Facility

• Dessaray Rose — Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility

• Michael Schimmelpenny — Chippewa Correctional Facility

• Peter Smith — Pugsley Correctional Facility

• Michael Warner — Gus Harrison Correctional Facility

• Joe Wilkerson — Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center

• Alonzo Williams — Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility

• Scott Wilson — Ojibway Correctional Facility

May 2016 5


Special Edition

Parole/Probation Agent of the YearNewaygo County Parole and Probation Agent

Brandon Bengelink isn’t one to hesitate in helping others. He has assisted car accident victims, staying on the

scene until emergency responders arrived, and de-escalated a serious situation that could have resulted in injuries to himself or others while helping another agent with home calls.

It was for these actions, as well as his honesty, integrity and commitment to public safety, that he was named the department’s 2016 Agent of the Year. Bengelink is always willing to accept new challenges and is well-respected by the MDOC’s community partners including law enforcement and court staff.Bengelink said he enjoys that no two days are alike working in the field.“No day is the same,” Bengelink said. “You get to interact with courts, judges and attorneys and there’s not one home call that’s the same.”Bengelink supervises a mixed caseload that includes both probationers and parolees, sex offenders and individuals who require intensive supervision.He said he has found that many times parolees and probationers under his supervision just need someone they can talk to while trying to work through issues. “We’re here to help,” Bengelink said. “A lot of these offenders need someone they can talk to because they don’t have someone to talk to. I almost feel like a counselor at times.”Bengelink said he would advise new agents not to be afraid to ask questions, and to never lose their drive to learn. He said he is still shocked that he was recognized with the award, as there were many excellent and worthy agents standing alongside him.He said winning the Agent of the Year award has motivated him to raise the bar for himself and set new goals.

Field Operations Administration Deputy Director Russ Marlan and Agent of the Year Brandon Bengelink

Parole/Probation Agent of the Year nominees• Michael Arkens — Marquette County

Parole and Probation Office

• Stephen Salladay — Wexford County Parole and Probation Office

• Ken Werner — Ogemaw County Parole and Probation Office

• Fabian LaVigne — Saginaw County Parole Office

• Thomas Arand — Lapeer County Parole and Probation Office

• Crissa Blankenburg — Ingham County Probation Office

• Cathie Dutton — Branch County Parole and Probation Office

• Lisa Hendricks — Jackson County Probation Office

• Denice Reeves-Cook — Pontiac Probation Office

• Walt Wysopal — Saginaw County Parole Office

Special Edition


May 2016 6

Professional Excellence Award winners

Roy Doades has worked for the MDOC since 1994 and is a corrections medical officer at Woodland Center Correctional Facility. He has worked as a trainer at the facility and has been actively involved in new recruit training since 1996, where he has recently served as platoon leader. He actively engages new recruits and is well-respected by staff and prisoners alike.

Denise Dutoi is a parole agent with the Genesee County Parole Office who joined the MDOC in 2001. She currently supervises a mix of specialized cases and was recently named the designated gang agent for the office. She has maintained close relationships with local partners in criminal justice and was instrumental in instituting compliance checks for sex offenders.

Tori Ellison has more than 28 years of service with the state and is the budget development manager with the Budget, Accounting, and Projections Division of the Budget and Operations Administration. She is the department’s agency implementation liaison for Project SIGMA, the state’s enterprise resource management and accounting system. She adapts well to challenges and is focused on the department’s success.

Timothy Flanagan has worked for the Office of the Parole Board since 2010, and has served as the lifer/clemency coordinator and programming coordinator. He has participated in a variety of efforts to improve operations and has demonstrated commitment to reducing programming wait lists. He is considered a subject matter expert for the Parole Board.

Blaise Glennie joined the MDOC in 1996 and is a corrections program coordinator at Thumb Correctional Facility. He implements, organizes and administers recreational inmate programs and activities for more than 1,240 adult and youth prisoners. Through his athletic programs, he has motivated prisoners to excel and set goals for themselves.

Special Edition May 2016 7


Cedric Griffey is a deputy warden at Thumb Correctional Facility and has worked for the MDOC since 1989. He has shown a genuine desire to help youthful and HYTA offenders. He has fostered relationships with judges who sentence HYTA prisoners and works with them to achieve the best possible and appropriate outcome for the individual.

Kyle Kaminski joined the MDOC in 2014 as the legislative liaison and hit the ground running. He has learned all facets of the department and goes above and beyond every day. He has forged positive relationships both internally and externally, which have been key to the department’s success in advancing its agenda. He is the go-to person, not only for the executive office, but for the executive policy team and our budget and finance staff as well.

Doug Kline is a corrections resident representative at Carson City Correctional Facility, who oversees the prisoner grievance process. He has assisted Central Office staff with an ongoing court case and was able to organize the many different documents coming in from correctional facilities across the state. He is always willing to help others when needed.

Jeanice McConomy has been a state employee for nearly 18 years and has served as a field agent for the MDOC since 2007. During her career as an agent, she has supervised the special needs population and in 2015 took on the additional challenge of supervising registered sex offenders with special needs. She is focused on helping offenders succeed on parole.

Gerald Mitchell is a 21-year veteran of the MDOC and is a registered nurse at the Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center. He keeps a positive attitude and has performed well under the most rigorous and challenging conditions. He has a high level of integrity, serves as a role model for others and has proven to be a knowledgeable resource for staff.




Eric Petaja is an inspector at Baraga Correctional Facility, who started his career with the department in 1993. He has an excellent rapport with staff, administrators, and law enforcement agencies. He has a distinct ability to monitor security operations and ensures any deficiencies are handled appropriately. He also displays a strong commitment to thoroughly completing investigations.

Kimberly Root began her career with the MDOC in 2000 and is a departmental analyst in Correctional Facilities Administration Transportation. She has been instrumental in tracking transportation assets and costs and is the only analyst in the section responsible for finances related to the area. She is always looking for more efficient and effective ways of doing business.

Destinie Shipman has more than 26 years of experience with the department and currently serves as a manager in the Procurement, Monitoring & Compliance Division.She has adapted well to challenges and changes in job functions, and always shows initiative. She is detail-oriented, thorough and inclusive and was heavily involved in the creation of the EPIC unit.

Daryl Reinsch is a parole and probation agent at the Antrim County Parole and Probation Office. He started his career with the MDOC in 1980 and currently oversees GPS and is a sex offender caseload specialist. He holds offenders to a high standard, is viewed as a resource among his colleagues and is well-respected by local partners in criminal justice.

John Rodgers joined the department in 1997 and currently serves as a supervisor with Michigan State Industries’ laundry operations at Thumb Correctional Facility. He has sometimes singlehandedly operated the laundry facility when short staffed, and has worked up to 100 hours in a week without complaint. He maintains an upbeat attitude and leads by example.Rodgers and his wife were recently involved in a serious accident that prevented them from attending the award ceremonies. Please keep them in your thoughts as they recover from their injuries.




Tracy Swan is a 16-year veteran of the department, who currently serves as the liaison agent with the Waterford and White Lake police departments. She displays a high level of integrity, has a strong work ethic and treats offenders respectfully. She is also well-respected and highly valued by the police agencies she works with.

Patricia Willard is a registered dietician with more than 20 years of service to the MDOC. She has transitioned from her role as a multi-facility registered dietician to the Procurement, Monitoring and Compliance Division, while still ensuring prisoners receive nutritional meals. She continues to provide leadership in revising the state menu, which has required extensive work in reviewing nutritional requirements.



Thank you to all of our dedicated employeesThis year’s award ceremony would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of MDOC employees across the state. Nearly 400 people attended the Employee Appreciation Banquet at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing, and many were there in support of family, friends or colleagues.Gov. Rick Snyder also stopped by to speak with employees and thank them

for their service.He addressed attendees at the start of the event and presented a proclamation declaring May 1-7 as Correctional Officers Week.Noah Nagy, acting deputy warden at the Detroit Reentry Center, served as master of ceremonies for the evening banquet.Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility Chaplain Dan Thompson opened the event with an invocation and Jackson County Probation Agent Robert Halsey sang

the national anthem.The MDOC was excited to be joined by the Michigan Corrections Organization for this year’s award ceremonies.Awards were presented by MDOC Director Heidi Washington, Deputy Directors Ken McKee, Jeri-Ann Sherry and Russ Marlan, and Michigan Corrections Organization President Tom Tylutki. Congratulations and best wishes to all of the MDOC’s award winners, finalists and nominees.

2016 - michigan · the department’s 2016 agent of the year. bengelink is always willing to accept...

Documents