Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP)

Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 218-372-3101

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) located at 86032 County Hwy 61 in Willow River, MN are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

CIP-Willow River is a minimum security boot camp program mandated by the Legislature in 1992 that allows non-violent offenders who qualify to earn early release. Phase 1 is a six-month, intensive program for up to 180 non-violent drug and property male offenders. Programming components include education, critical thinking skills development, chemical dependency programming, and rigorous physical exercise. Phases 2 and 3, supervised release phases, are generally six months in duration and served in the community.

The Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) was mandated by the legislature in 1992. It is a voluntary program for inmates who meet certain statutory and department requirements.

CIP consists of three phases, each generally lasting for six months. The first is a highly-structured and intensive phase. Phase 1 for men is located at the Willow River site of the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF)-Willow River/Moose Lake and, for women, at the MCF-Togo. Programming in this phase includes chemical dependency treatment; education; cognitive skills; restorative justice; physical training; military bearing, drill, and ceremony; work crew; and transition preparation.

In the second and third CIP phases, offenders are under intensive, close supervision in the community. Following successful completion of all three phases, offenders are placed on supervised release for the remainder of their sentence.

Failure to complete CIP phases 2 and/or 3 may result in a return to prison, extending an offender’s period of incarceration

Capacity In 2007, CIP/Willow River completed an expansion that increased capacity to 180 participants. The expansion included a new barracks, health services area, and activities building. The existing food services building were renovated and the old barracks site was converted to chemical dependency program space. CIP/Togo for women has a capacity of 30.

Evaluation
In 2006, the DOC completed an in-depth evaluation of CIP. Researchers looked at all CIP offenders since the program began in 1992, one of the longest periods for such an evaluation. CIP participants were compared to a control group with similar criminal factors. The evaluation found that: ‰

• CIP decreased the chances of reoffending with a new felony conviction by 32 percent ‰
• CIP decreased the chances of incarceration for a new crime by 35 percent
• CIP offenders were less likely than the control group to be re-imprisoned for a person offense ‰
• The early release provision for CIP graduates has saved nearly 1,500 prison beds ‰
• CIP’s impact on bed space and recidivism has reduced costs by $18.1 million (FY93-FY02)

Statutory Admission Criteria M.S. Sec. 244.17 defi nes CIP eligibility by the following criteria: ‰
• Offenders committed to the commissioner of corrections’ custody following revocation of a stayed sentence ‰
• Offenders committed to the commissioner’s custody who have 48 months or less remaining in their term of imprisonment and who did not receive an upward dispositional departure under sentencing guidelines

Statute prohibits CIP placement for offenders who: ‰
• Are committed to the commissioner’s custody following a conviction for murder, manslaughter, criminal sexual conduct, assault, kidnapping, robbery, arson, or any other offense involving death or intentional personal injury; and/or ‰
• Were convicted within the preceding 10 years of an offense described above and who were committed to the custody of the commissioner ‰
• Were convicted of escape within the last 5 years ‰
• Are required to register as predatory offenders ‰
• Have current warrants or detainers

Offenders must complete a medical screening to ensure they can safely participate in the program.
Program Goals
The Minnesota-based Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) is an intervention that provides individuals who are good candidates for early release from prison with a combination of boot camp and intensive aftercare rehabilitation. CIP is designed to reduce recidivism and reduce the costs of incarceration.

Target Population
CIP targets individuals who have been convicted of a nonviolent drug and property offense and are perceived as good candidates for early release. The program specifically excludes those individuals who have extensive criminal or institutional discipline histories and considers such factors as gang affiliation, victim impact, community concern, or lack of residential ties to Minnesota.

Program Components
The program consists of three phases: Phase I, the boot camp intervention with rehabilitation services; Phase II, the initial community component with intensive supervised release (ISR); and Phase III, the final community component with continued ISR.

Phase I is conducted at the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF)-Willow River for males and at the MCF-Togo for females. It is composed of a rigorous 16-hour daily schedule consisting of strenuous activity and discipline, including military drills, physical training, and intensive manual labor. Additionally, intervention participants participate in rehabilitation treatments that address critical thinking skills, chemical dependency, educational development, and planning for transition back into the community. Upon the completion of this phase, individuals are released from the correctional facilities into the community, where they participate in Phase II.

Phase II consists of engaging in daily intensive supervision interactions, participating in random drug and/or alcohol testing, maintaining full-time employment, abiding by curfews, performing community service, and participating in additional aftercare programming. After completing Phase II, individuals progress to Phase III, which continues the intensive supervision, community service, employment, and aftercare programming. Participants are considered CIP graduates when they complete Phase III.

Additional Information
The practice of boot camp interventions has gone through multiple revisions. The earliest versions were short in duration and stressed military discipline. The second version began incorporating therapeutic programming and intensively supervising program graduates. This current third version includes an imbedded rehabilitation treatment that addresses critical thinking, drug/alcohol dependency, educational development, and transitional planning

visitation Info

Challenge Incarceration Program (Willow River) – Visitation

Hours of Visiting: For offenders at Willow River CIP, visiting hours are determined by squad and hat color. What days an offender can have visitors is based on his squad. The time for visits is based on hat color. Please carefully check both the squad and hat color when planning a visit. Visiting is conducted on the holidays that fall on regularly scheduled CIP visiting days.

Visiting maintains healthy family and community relationships.

Visiting can help offenders build support networks they will need after release. Research conducted by the Minnesota Department of Corrections has shown that positive interactions with friends and family can lower recidivism.

For these positive interactions to occur, visiting room must be a secure environment where offenders and families can feel safe. To maintain this environment, offenders and visitors are required to obey the rules of the visiting room. Failure to do so may result in warning, termination of visits, placement on non-contact visiting status, suspension or revocation of the visiting privilege.