MCA Monthly Workshop:
Monthly Workshop: Modern Technology
Meets Correctional Workforce Challenges
June 11, 2025
9:00 a.m. - Noon
Via Teams
Sponsor Spotlight by
Bethel Work Release Center
Certificates of Attendance will be
available for this workshop
Sponsor Spotlight
Bethel Work Release Center is a private, non-profit, adult community based residential correctional facility. It serves both men and women in the criminal justice system on a county, state, and federal level.
Presented by: Andrea Cowdell
Andrea Cowdell is the Program Director of Bethel Work Release Center in Duluth, MN. She started as a Corrections Officer in 2005 while finishing her BA in Criminology from UMD. She accepted a Case Manager position in 2007, then was promoted to Program Supervisor shortly after. In 2024, she became the Program Director.
Workshop
This Workshop will provide insights into how technology is being used to streamline supervision administration, increase client compliance and minimize corrections staffing vacancies.
Correction agencies are facing mounting pressure to deliver more services with less staff, expand programs within outdated and inflexible infrastructure, and manage diverse functions using antiquated procedures. Add staffing shortages and changing workforce demographics to the mix -- it’s apparent that these challenges underscore the inefficiency of traditional methods. In this workshop, we will examine how technology is providing innovative solutions to overcome these obstacles.
Objectives
• Identifying Technological Solutions: Exploring how technology is solving community supervision challenges and enabling better client outcomes.
• Improving Operational Efficiency: Examining how technology is streamlining processes and addressing workforce challenges in corrections, such as staff shortages, training gaps, and asset management.
• Future Visioning: Engaging participants to envision the next wave of technological innovations that could transform the correctional workforce.
Presented by: FieldWare - Karen Peterson & Susan Rice
Karen Peterson is the FieldWare Solutions Engineer. Karen has devoted the past 25+ years within the community supervision field and now serves as the Senior Solutions Engineer at FieldWare, leveraging her extensive expertise to drive innovative solutions. She served as an Oakland County, MI Community Corrections’ Supervisor for 23 of those years, leading the Step Forward program for recidivism reduction using risk/needs assessments and evidence-based programming. Karen was a key player in the County Corrections’ Pretrial Supervision program committed to meeting pretrial release national standards. She also currently serves as a trainer for The Carey Group in evidence-based practices.
Susan Rice is the Sr. Customer Success Manager and President of APPA. Susan has dedicated the past 37 years to the field of community supervision, demonstrating unwavering commitment and extensive expertise. She spent the majority of her career serving as a probation and chief probation officer in Indiana before “retiring” to pursue opportunities in the private sector. For the past 4 years, she has worked with companies committed to utilizing technology to assist both community supervision officers and their clients.
Susan has been an active member of the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana (POPAI) and currently serves as the President of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in business administration.
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please contact the MCA office. Call/text 651-515-3254
or e-mail mca-mn@hotmail.com
Register for This Workshop Today!
Registration will close at 4:00 p.m.2 days before event
