MCF-Shakopee Transitions Coordinator Sandy Hand received the MCCA Robert H. Robinson Award, an annual award given to a line staff worker who has demonstrated excellence, creativity, and commitment to community corrections. Please join me in congratulating her. Below outlines her nomination and recognition:
Sandy Hand has worked for her nearly 17 years in the field of corrections. While her experience is situated within a correctional facility, the uniqueness of her position and her passion for this population ties her closely to the community, victim restoration, offender rehabilitation and accountability.
Sandy has worked tirelessly over the past 10 years to continually deliver opportunities for restorative justice at the correctional facility. These includes coordination and oversight of our service dog program, victim restoration opportunities such as VOCARE’, apology letters, victim offender dialogue, fundraisers for victim-related organizations, “Straight Talk” (a program which interfaces trained offender speakers with troubled girls), and more.
Sandy also continues to find meaningful ways to increase community involvement and outreach for the facility. This is demonstrated through her commitment to Offender Workforce Development partnerships, “in-reach” community service programs, resource development. She is dedicated to assuring offenders are knowledgeable about their barriers to release and armed with resources to meet those challenges.
Even as her job roles have evolved, she continues to demonstrate her willingness to go the extra mile in assuring these program elements are available to all offenders.
Sandy Hand(right) with MCCA President Kelly Heifort