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BLUE EARTH COUNTY
COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS

Community Corrections

Gerald T. Haley, Corrections Chief
Nichols Office Building
410 Jackson Street, Suite 150
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002-3543
Phone: (507) 304-4550
Fax: (507) 304-4585

The mission of Community Corrections is to promote the public’s safety by facilitating an intra-community continuum of care that holds offenders accountable, assists offenders develop competencies, and assists victims to be resolved from issues of crime and its impact on the victims and on our community.

Corrections Master Plan

The Corrections Department is assisted in meeting its mission requirements by the active participation of a state-mandated Citizen's Advisory Board. Advisory Board members are citizen members of the community who volunteer their time to participate in the planning and coordination of services the department provides to the County. Members are asked to serve at least two-year terms and are appointed by the Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners. Contact Tony Knapp, Advisory Board Chair, for more information.

The Community Corrections Department provides the following programming and services:

Diversion/Prevention Services
  • Teen Court: A process where teen-age peers impose criminal sanctions on teen-age offenders. For more information contact Kelly Peterson.
  • Youth Diversion: A program for juvenile first time offenders ages 10-17 years old to receive counseling and instruction as a consequence for their criminal behavior without having to go to court. For more information contact Cheryl Todtleben.
  • Adult Diversion: A program for adult first offenders to receive counseling, supervision and instruction for their criminal offense without having to go to court. For more information contact Denise Rients.

Adult Probation/Supervised Release Services
  • Traditional Probation: Supervision/investigation for persons 18 years and older who are found guilty of any traffic or criminal offense. For more information contact Teri Glaze, Tobi Baker, Sara Crocker, Karla Henrichs, or Mike Froiland, Liz McCormick.
  • DWI Intensive Supervision: intensive interaction, supervision and treatment with DWI offenders. For more information contact Kevin Mettler.
  • Enhanced Supervision of Sex Offenders: supervised and monitored throughout treatment and post-treatment. For more information contact Steve Lenz.
  • Supervised Community Service Programs: Blue Earth County supervised community service programs consist of two adult programs and one juvenile program. These crews work for county, state, city and non-profit organizations throughout the Blue Earth County area. Jobs completed in the past include yard work, painting, shoveling, house renovations, handicap ramps, and many other service-oriented duties. For more information contact Eric Olson.

Juvenile Probation/Parole Services
  • Traditional Probation: Investigation/supervision of minors committing offenses prior to 18 years of age. For more information contact Brenda Pautsch, Paul Ahearn, Cheryl Todtleben, Jill Kroc, Kelly Peterson, or Jen Pierskalla.
  • Transitional/Intensive Supervision: Intensive in-community programming to avoid out of home placement or assist in reintegration back into community after placement. For more information contact Brenda Pautsch.
  • Gender Specific Programming: The Girls’ Group program incorporates restorative justice philosophies into gender specific programming to address the rising number juvenile female offenders on probation and those violating their probation. Most offenses include assaults, disorderly conduct, and truancy. In small group settings girls work through topics like relationships, dating violence, sexuality, goals, drug use, and stress management through discussion and creative activities. For more information contact Jen Pierskalla.
Problem Solving/Specialty Courts
  • Drug Court: Drug Court’s mission is to reduce crime through the rehabilitation and recovery of drug and alcohol offenders. Drug Court coordinates the efforts of the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, law enforcement, social services, probation and treatment specialists to quickly identify and intervene with selected non-violent substance-abusing offenders in order to break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction and crime. For more information contact Brenda Pautsch or Heidi Heinzel.
  • Truancy Court: Chronic truancy is a well established precursor for substance abuse, crime and illiteracy. Truancy Court brings the judicial system into the school where the judge works as part of a team with school personnel, the county attorney’s office, human services and probation with the goals of increasing attendance, improving academic progress of students and fostering an attachment to the school. For more information contact Jill Kroc or Paul Ahearn.


Restitution/Restorative Justice Services

  • Hold offenders responsible for financial damages done to victims, creating opportunities for offenders to perform unpaid work to repay the community for the harm the offender caused. For more information contact Cheryl Todtleben.
  • Providing mediation services for victims and offenders to meet and work out resolution for the results of the crime that brought them together. For more information contact Michele Schroeder

Administrative Support



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