Here's what Rice County currently offers (Note: We closed our Jail Annex a year ago due to COVID, so not all programs are available)
1. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) - Supported by past alcoholics, counselors and religious volunteers. Offered to men and women at least once per week. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem. Numerous pamphlets and brochures are always plentiful and available to study and review. A 24-hour international website (http://www.aahomegroup.org/ ) allows for remote, ZOOM classes and sessions during periods of mandated isolation or quarantine from individuals or groups.
2. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – Offered at least once per week to males and females. One hour sessions aimed at providing support and relief to recovering drug addicts or for those whose drug use has become a major problem.
3. Bible Study – Faith based fellowship involving religious scripture and dialogue. Offered at least once per week to males and females and facilitated by volunteers skilled in principles of non-denominational instruction.
4. Keyboarding – Learn to type using the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing software. Self-paced. Students train internally 2-3 times per week for 30 minutes per session. Certificates offered for course completion of 20 words per minute.
5. MS Word – (keyboarding pre-requisite) Microsoft Word taught internally 2-3 times per week for those interested in word processing, graphic manipulation and document formatting. Emphasis placed on justification, tables, fonts, visual aesthetics and basic functions.
6. MS Excel – (keyboarding pre-requisite) Microsoft spreadsheet taught internally 2-3 times per week offers the opportunity to learn data manipulation. Self-paced format allows for extra instruction on basic document design, data processing, formula development, graphs and visual modifications to structure and format appealing and interactive documents.
7. Resume Writing – Offered continuously. Job searching tool that allows all inmates an opportunity to extract and formalize their education, skills and work history into a recognized document suitable for presentation to employers and hiring agencies. Particularly useful for work-release and Huber applicants.
8. Inter-Library Loan (ILL) – Leisure book loan program conducted through the Buckham Regional Library in Faribault, MN. Authorized/appropriate book requests are made through the inmate kiosk to the jail programmer. This request is relayed, through a website, to the Buckham Library and retrieved when available. Inmates sign a loan contract and return the book upon completion. Very heavily utilized program.
9. Teen Challenge – Substance abuse recovery and intervention program. Facilitated by qualified and licensed counselors around a faith-based format. Outside resources communicate through the jail to coordinate in and out patient methods to cope with drug dependence and family difficulties.
10. Yoga – spiritual meditation and body manipulation exercises designed to reduce stress. Half-hour video sessions offered at least once per week. Staff supervised. YouTube generated.
11. Relaxation – Slow, extremely low impact half-hour relaxation videos with soft music, nature sounds and easy instructions for muscle and tension relief. Offered once per week. Staff supervised. YouTube generated.
12. Stretching – Half-hour video based instruction to limber joints and stretch sore or tight muscles. Offered once per week. Staff supervised. YouTube generated.
13. Leisure Library – On-site library for jail and annex. About 500 hard and softback books available in the jail and another 1,000 books located in the annex. These are periodically checked for outdated or dilapidated materials and replaced accordingly.
14. Law Library – Available up-to-date Minnesota Statutes provided free of charge from the University of Minnesota Law School for both the Jail and Annex sites. These are replaced every two years to comply with release of new editions.
15. Art/Sketching – Basic pencil/charcoal art classes highlighting shading, shadowing, 3 dimensional concepts and distance perspectives. Continuously available and offered upon request.
16. Card Tournaments – Spades, Cribbage, Euchre and other tournaments offered periodically (usually once per month) to inmates interested in individual or team competitions. Incentives are residual commissary (Turnkey) snacks, writing items or toiletries.
17. Random games and puzzles - These are always available for use in the jail and annex. Authorized board games like chess, checkers, Yahtzee, trivial pursuit and others provided to keep the inmates occupied and engaged. Large tables are provided for over-sized puzzles and group activities/games.
18. Bingo tournaments. Using a self-produced Excel spreadsheet bingo card generator and automated random number generator designed specifically to the Rice County Sheriff’s Office. Heavily utilized recreation program. Prizes are limited to unclaimed commissary items.
19. GED/ABE/Life Skills classes. In concert with the Faribault Education Center, General Educational Development and Adult Basic Education classes offer students a chance to earn academic credentials and learn basic life skills during incarceration and prior to release. Formal intake forms are processed through the Education Center effectively enrolling the inmates in a permanent GED/ABE/Life Skills program so they may continue to work towards their diploma after release in the event they do not fully complete certification requirements during incarceration.
20. Stationary Bike. Annex only. This bike provides a periodic recreational activity with a multitude of workout levels to annex inmates set on a cardiovascular regimen designed to overcome boredom, increase endurance and relieve stress. Computer displays real time information and progress.
21. Bodyweight training machine. Annex only. Weight free physical workout. Allows inmates opportunity to work out using their own body weight. Pull ups, chin ups, dips, ab crunches, pushups, calf raises. Great for relieving stress and building muscle, stamina and endurance.
22. Career Development and Release Preparation Program. Facilitated through the Minnesota Career Development Center in Faribault. This program helps inmates re-enter the community with skills that assist them in building resumes, conducting interviews, completing applications and researching available jobs. Real time job offerings and recruitment trends are provided at least once monthly.
23. Sesame Street incarceration video for children of jailed inmates. This video and associated literature explains in simple, easy to understand terms a child’s struggle to understand concepts involving an incarcerated parent or family member. These are available and free to anyone during visiting hours at the annex. English and Spanish in same packet.
24. Clergy visitations. Periodic one-on-one private religious meetings authorized through requests to programming or jail administrative staff. Provided as a means for practical administration of rites, religious communication or clerical counseling. A verified background check must be initiated and approved prior to a clergy visit with an inmate.
25. Newspaper subscriptions. Although the jail does not currently maintain periodicals and newspaper subscriptions, it is permissible for inmates to order newspapers out of their own accounts or have them forwarded to the jail through an outside entity. Inmates may keep up to three publications in their cells at any one time.
26. Christmas Behind Bars. This program provides Christmas treat bags through Minnesota Adventist Prison Ministries to inmates during the holiday season. Bags contain near expired cookies, chips, candy and other snacks along with religious pamphlets and brochures highlighting Christian principles and ideologies. Discretion is practiced for those inmates who are secular or do not ascribe to a Christian religion by providing the bags without spiritual materials.
27. Rice County Social Services Group Therapy Program. Through the Rice County Social Services, this program provides inmates with therapeutic meetings highlighting and discussing past traumatic events that might have influenced their life choices. Offered 6 to 12 times per year, these sessions benefit inmates willing to discuss personal issues and seek professional treatment, guidance and counseling during or after release.
28. Inmate Visitation Program. Although physical contact is not authorized during visits, social interaction with family and friends is permitted-and actually encouraged-by the Rice County Jail through the use of supplied phones and monitors at the Rice County Annex located at 2119 W Hwy 60 in Faribault. The jail supplies 2 visiting workstations and each visit can last up to 20 minutes. This service is free. Visiting hours are posted on the Rice County website and staff are available on site to monitor and assist. Off-site visiting is also authorized during normal visiting hours through personal or home computers using the Skype video program, but at a nominal fee to the user.
29. Cable Television. Inmates are provided televisions to reduce boredom, relieve stress and keep up to date on sports, news and current events. Cable channels/stations are requested by inmates, but must be approved by jail staff for suitable content and appropriate material. TV’s are turned on and monitored after 8 AM and turned off at 10 PM. Isolation cells do not have TV’s.
30. Essay, Poetry and Short Story Contests. In order to while away the time and promote a wholesome competitive activity, these essay, poetry and short story contests exercise the mind, promote academics and highlights current events allowing inmates to vent and opine in a productive, therapeutic manner. Topics are non-personal in nature and neutral in subject and fictional productions are encouraged. All entries are judged and residual commissary items are awarded for first and second places. Smaller awards are provided to all participants.
31. Diversion Solutions. Program is a Minnesota State Law that provides qualified applicants the ability to drive legally while paying off old fines and fees. Applications are available and can be completed during incarceration.
diversionsolutions.net/ 32. Zoom Remote Classes. As a new initiative, pushed by the COVID-19 pandemic, ZOOM offers classes through the internet to the inmate population without the stresses of virus protection protocols. Classes taught independently through other counties can be transmitted interactively, in real time or as saved media, to our facilities allowing inmates to continue programming and studying without annoyances stemming from personal or on-site visiting restrictions.
33. Holiday Stationery Program: During the holiday season, inmates can take coloring classes using standard office paper stationery. Graphic themes highlighting traditional/religious Christmas or secular holidays are printed for inmates to color or artistically modify with depth and shadows specific to their drawing skills. They are to be used as greeting or holiday cards for friends and families. Inmates must provide their own envelopes/stamps to forward this artwork.
34. Black History Month Documentaries and Testimonials. During February’s Black History Month, historical videos highlighting the many tribulations and contributions of the black community are shown to honor its heritage while instilling a knowledge of America’s controversial past. Done through You Tube documentaries and a follow-up with class discussions.
35. Starting Your Own Business. Conducted by a SCORE (Retired Business Manager) volunteer through ZOOM, this class teaches entrepreneurs the fine details of starting a business from the ground up. It emphasizes business plans, financial procedures, marketing strategies and contemporary ideas regarding business ventures.
36. Cinco de Mayo activities. As a means of promoting ethnicity and education, video documentaries, Hispanic heritage and other cultural activities are provided to commemorate the Mexican army's victory over Napoleon III's French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
37. Pathway Home Grant. In collaboration with Minnesota Workforce, Inc., this program allows inmates an opportunity to train for jobs while incarcerated. Subjects involve CNC Machining, Accelerated Manufacturing, Accelerated Welding, Food Safety, Forklift training and the NRF RISE UP Credentialing Program. Eligible inmates with a window of release in a 20 to120 day window may apply. If accepted, they will be taught either in-person or through Zoom, and be rewarded with a modest cash incentive for attendance and satisfactory progress.
