MCF-Willow River/Moose Lake 1000 Lake Shore Drive Moose Lake, Minnesota 55767 phone 218/485-5000 fax 218/485-5120
Custody Level: Level 3 Medium (ML)
The Minnesota Correctional Facility-Willow River/Moose Lake has two locations.
The Moose Lake site is located at 1000 Lakeshore Drive, Moose Lake, Minnesota 55767, phone 218/485-5000, fax 218/485-5120. It is a level three, medium-security institution for adult males. The site is the former Moose Lake Regional Treatment Center. Conversion to a correctional facility began in 1988. The facility provides a variety of programming including vocational and academic education, sex offender programming, and industry. MINNCOR Industries encompasses textile/garment manufacturing, signage, printing, and subcontract work. The facility’s current population is 1,030 (1/06).
Willow River was the facility’s original site and is located at 86032 County Highway 61, Willow River, Minnesota 55795, phone 218/372-3101, fax 218/372-3090. It serves as phase 1 for male offenders in the department’s Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP), a boot camp mandated by the 1992 Legislature that accepted its first squad in October 1992. Phase 1 is a six-month, intensive program for up to 90 non-dangerous male offenders (CIP phase 1 female offenders are housed at the MCF-Togo). Programming components include education, critical thinking skills development, chemical dependency programming, and rigorous physical exercise. Phases 2 and 3, both supervised release phases, are at least six months in duration and served in the community. The 2005 Legislature authorized the department to add up to 100 beds at CIP.
Inmate Visiting
The DOC Visiting Program is intended as an avenue to develop and maintain healthy family and community relationships. This web site provides general information to answer the most asked questions. Visiting practices may vary at correctional facilities based on the security needs of the facilities and their physical structures.
Visiting in DOC facilities must be conducted in as accommodating a manner as possible while maintaining order, the safety of persons, the security of the facilities, and the requirements of correctional activities and operations. It is a privilege for offenders to have personal visits while confined in DOC facilities. Offenders are aware that failure to comply with the established regulations and policies by either their visitors and/or the offender may result in warning, termination of visits, placement on non-contact visiting status, suspension or revocation of the visiting privilege, including permanent loss of visits.
The information in this web site is provided for your use and convenience. Please pay particular attention to the visiting regulations so that your visits occur with as little inconvenience as possible. If you have specific questions, telephone numbers are provided. We hope you will assist us in making your visiting experience a pleasant one for you, your family, friends, and the person you are visiting.
Visiting - Moose Lake
Hours of Visiting:
General population
Segregation population
To make an appointment you must call 218-485-5000 ext.5646 - at least 24 hours in advance Wednesdays through Fridays from 2:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Visiting Staff Contact: 218-485-5000
Directions: Interstate 35 to Moose Lake exit. Go left (west) on Hwy. 73 about 1 mile to the main entrance on right. Watch for signs. Click here for map
Visiting Regulations: Please read the Inmate Visiting Information prior to visits. Click here to view document
There is no visiting on the following State recognized holidays:
Inmate Mail Information
Incoming Offender Mail: With the exception of special/legal mail, incoming mail is opened and reviewed for the presence of unallowed items. Incoming mail must include the offender's commitment or department recognized legal name and Offender Identification (OID) number.
Incoming mail may include: paper with words/drawings; signed unmusical, commercial greeting cards and postcards; photographs (Polaroid photos must have the backing removed); periodicals and published materials shipped from the publisher; and clippings or photocopies of published materials that meet criteria.
Click here for facility addresses
How to send money to offenders: Acceptable fund instruments are: money orders, cashier checks, and certified bank checks.
All money orders, cashier checks and certified bank checks must be mailed to the following address:
Offender name, OID number, MCF- (facility name where offender is housed) PO Box 1000 Moose Lake, MN 55767
Money orders and checks must be made payable to the offender with OID number and must include your first and last name and complete address, including city, state, and zip code.
All information contained on the money order must be legible. Money orders showing signs of alteration will not be accepted.
**Letters and other mailings must be mailed to the facility where the offender is living.
Money orders and/or letters will be returned to the sender if not sent appropriately as stated above.
Offenders are not allowed to receive money from another incarcerated offender's family, visitor, or anyone living at another offender's correspondent address. Offenders from the same family may receive money from their immediate family members.
Funds may also be sent to offenders via Western Union. A Western Union location can be found by calling 1-800-325-6000 or by visiting their web site at www.westernunion.com. When using cash, fill out the BLUE Quick Collect form. For credit, call 1-800-634-3422 or go to their web site.
Senders will need the following information to send money via Western Union:
Pay to: Minnesota Dept. Corrections Code City: MNDOC State: MN Senders account number: Offender OID# and last name Attention Field: Offender's last and first name
Special/Legal Mail: Special and legal mail may be sent or received in a sealed envelope. Incoming special/legal mail will be opened only in the presence of the offender. Staff may check the contents to ensure that the mail is legal or official in nature. Legal mail is logged. Legal mail includes correspondence to or from courts, court staff and attorneys.
Special mail includes correspondence to or from state and federal elected/appointed/regulatory agencies and officials.
Unallowed Mail: For safety and security purposes, the content of mail is regulated. Mail is denied that involves criminal activity; is identified as security threat group related; requests gifts or money from unrelated individuals, contain photos of staff, is coded material, contains unsanitary items such as hair, saliva, body secretions; certain sexually explicit situations including sexual intercourse, bodily excretory functions, sadism or bondage; personal photos displaying nudity by definition; and material advocating inferiority of an ethnic, racial or religious group.
Correspondence Review Authority: Each facility has a Correspondence Review Authority to review denied offender mail. Within a specified timeframe, offender's may request a review of their denied mail by the Correspondence Review Authority.
Forwarding Mail: First class mail and subscriptions will be forwarded for 60 days. After 60 days, or if a forwarding address is unavailable, the item will be returned to the sender.
Visiting - Challenge Incarceration Program
Visiting Staff Contact: Phone: 218-372-3101, fax: 218-372-3090.
Directions: Interstate 35 to Willow River exit. Go west on Co. Hwy 43 to the Stop sign. Take a right onto Co. Hwy 61 and proceed 3 miles to CIP. Look for sign.
Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP)
Phase I: an institution phase that lasts a minimum of six months.
Phase II: a highly supervised community phase under intensive surveillance that lasts a minimum of six months
Phase III: a community supervised release phase, generally lasting six months. When offenders successfully complete Phase III, they are placed on supervised release for the remainder of their sentence.
Goals
CIP goals established by state statute are to:
Criteria Participation is restricted to offenders committed to the commissioner of corrections following revocation of a stayed sentence and offenders who have 48 months or less in or remaining in their term of imprisonment, and who did not receive a dispositional departure under sentencing guidelines.
Participants are physically and psychologically screened and must meet CIP minimum-security guidelines and sign a written contract agreeing to comply with CIP requirements.
Offenders are reviewed for CIP participation after admission to a state receiving institution. Ineligible offenders include offenders committed or previously committed to prison for certain serious crimes against persons. Specifically noted in law are crimes such as murder, manslaughter, criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, robbery, arson, or any offense involving death or intentional personal injury within the preceding 10 years.
An offender cannot participate in CIP if he or she has (not limited to):
Philosophy Statement
"I have choice and free will. I am accountable for my thoughts, feelings and actions. Today I commit myself to positive change. I will give 110 percent of myself, 100 percent of the time. If I do my best, I will succeed."
INSTITUTION PHASE I Minnesota Correctional Facility-Willow River/Moose Lake 86032 County Highway 61 Willow River, Minnesota 55795 Phone: 218/372-3101
Warden: Terry Carlson Opened: 1951 (Challenge began in 1992) Capacity: 90 Staff Size: 34
The Minnesota Correctional Facility-Willow River/Moose Lake consists of two sites. The facility's Willow River site became the location of the institution phase (Phase I) of CIP in October, 1992. Previously the site served as a vocational skills training program for adult male offenders for 20 years. Prior to that it was a forestry camp.
The Willow River site currently houses adult male offenders. Female offenders are at the CIP program at the department's MCF-Togo facility in Togo, Minnesota (www.doc.state.mn.us/facilities/togo.htm).
CIP Phase I has a sterile, austere environment with a rigorous daily schedule. Work, specialized training, chemical dependency programming, education and physical activity are planned for virtually every minute of the day from 5:30 a.m. to lights out at 9:30 p.m. There is no recreational television, and visiting and telephone privileges are severely restricted.
Offenders are required to maintain a high level of program activity and discipline. When they fail to do so, they are confronted and directed to conform to program expectations. Failure to respond to directives is handled with immediate sanctions by staff.
Offenders may be removed from CIP and returned to a secure facility for medical, legal, or disciplinary reasons. An offender may also be removed if the warden considers the participant to be a risk to the public.
Phase I Programs
Program components include:
Critical thinking skills - All aspects of CIP integrate critical thinking skills development. Including approximately 40 hours of formal instruction, critical thinking skills development is used by all staff as an important component of all offenders' daily routines. It concentrates on developing skills needed to think and solve problems, use social skills, manage emotions, use reasoning and think creatively. All CIP offenders participate in a 24-session cognitive skills class taught by case managers and correctional officers. Topics include decision-making, identifying and avoiding criminal thinking, and motivation and goal setting.
Chemical dependency (CD) - Offenders participate in a six-month cognitive behavioral CD treatment program. The cognitive behavioral approach addresses three basic premises:
Literacy/education - All offenders are tested to determine academic achievement levels. Individual educational plans are developed to increase literacy levels for offenders who fail literacy criteria. While the emphasis is on literacy, there also is involvement in other educational areas.
Transition programming - All offenders participate in 11 hours of transition programming provided by the transition counselor at the MCF-Moose Lake. Offenders create a resume, cover letter, and list of references. Offenders learn and develop skills on how to find a job, interviewing techniques, and how to disclose their felony record.
Physical training - One period of rigorous physical training is conducted every day in addition to an intensive work schedule. Training emphasizes stretching, power walk, run, strength training, aerobic, overall physical conditioning and physical activities that can be adapted to a healthy lifestyle.
Support groups - CIP provides support groups available in the community (AA/NA, spiritual programs, grief group).
Behavioral training - Training in regimentation includes intensive instruction in courtesy, self-discipline, close-order drill, and exercise.
Work - An intensive work program is a major component. Most work is manual labor, serving as a basis for developing good work habits. Work squads complete improvement projects on the facility's grounds and perform community service work projects when requested.
COMMUNITY PHASE II
Intensive Supervised Release (ISR) Supervisors: Greg Roti, South / Sherry Hill, North
Following completion of the institution phase of CIP and with the approval of the department's Hearings & Release Unit, offenders are required to participate in the community-based Phase II for a minimum of six months.
Sixty days prior to an offender's projected Phase I completion date, the assigned ISR agent reviews the offender's status. Offenders graduate to Phase II only after successful completion of Phase I and development of an appropriate release plan.
Offenders are held accountable for Phase II supervision requirements by agents on ISR teams located throughout Minnesota.
Phase II programming requires that offenders continue to maintain a high level of positive activity. Strict accountability is mandated. Offenders are expected to contact their agent daily, submit to random drug and/or alcohol tests, maintain full-time employment, remain active in community service, participate in aftercare programming, and abide by curfews assigned by the agent.
While on Phases II and III, offenders have not reached their supervised release dates. If they violate conditions of the written agreements that permit them to participate in Phases II and III, they are subject to revocation procedures. Sanctions that may be imposed range from more restrictive supervision (i.e., electronic monitoring) to termination from CIP and return to prison.
Phase II Goals
Phase II Programs
Daily contact - As legislatively mandated, offenders are expected to have daily contact with their agent.
Random drug and alcohol testing - Offenders are expected to submit to random drug and alcohol tests as directed by the agent. Revocation procedures begin if there are positive test results.
Work/vocational programs - Offenders are expected to secure and maintain full-time employment or be involved in full-time vocational training.
Community service - Offenders are expected to volunteer in the community as approved by the agent.
Critical thinking skills - When offered, offenders may participate in weekly group sessions that utilize critical thinking skills training in analyzing and solving their problems.
CD counseling - CD counseling is continued in Phase II. Weekly AA/NA group participation is closely monitored by agents. Offenders may be required to attend CD group sessions.
Physical training - Offenders are encouraged to continue physical training experienced in Phase I.
Weekly schedules - Offenders submit a weekly schedule that must be pre-approved by the agent. Random, unannounced, 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week contacts and phone calls are made to ensure schedule compliance.
PHASE III
Upon Phase II completion, the offender moves to Phase III. This is the last phase of the CIP program. In Phase III, the offender is expected to practice what he or she has learned in Phases I and II. The appropriate level of supervision is maintained by the agent to maximize the offender's chances of success.
Phase III lasts for a minimum of six months. Offenders are placed on regular supervised release with the approval of the department's Hearings & Release Unit.
When offenders are placed on regular supervised release after successfully completing all phases of CIP, they are considered to be graduates of the program. They remain on supervised release until expiration of their sentence.
Challenge Incarceration Program Flyer 01-07