The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

In a letter delivered to Pawlenty's office Friday, state Sens. John Marty, Ellen Anderson, John Hottinger and Jane Ranum allege that Holmgren was the victim of "outrageous treatment of a dedicated employee."

"She was told the order to fire her came from 'above' the commissioner's office ‹ in other words, it would have come from your office," the letter states, citing Holmgren and "others familiar with the case."

No documents were provided to support the allegation.

Brian McClung, spokesman for the governor, said Tuesday, "The allegations in the letter are entirely inaccurate. Our office was not involved in this matter in any way."

According to the letter and to Holmgren, she was fired after expressing concerns to the prison warden about InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a Christian program being introduced to Shakopee this summer.

One version of the program, supported by former Gov. Al Quie, already is operating at the men's state prison at Lino Lakes with the assistance of state funds. It aims to reduce the chances of inmates returning to a life of crime after they're released. In June, a federal judge in Iowa ruled a similar program there was unconstitutional on the grounds its taxpayer-funding violated the separation of church and state.

Holmgren said she spoke up shortly after the Iowa ruling during a meeting with the Shakopee prison's warden.

"A lot of staff asked questions," Holmgren recalled in an interview Tuesday. "And then I asked about whether we would solicit bids for other programs of other religions, and he said, 'We can talk about this in private.' He said later that was the 'instigator' (for her being fired)."

On June 30, a day before Holmgren would have become a "classified" state employee protected from being fired without a reason, Shakopee Warden Rick Hillengrass telephoned her and told her she had lost her job. In a written response to an unsuccessful grievance filed by Holmgren, Hillengrass declined to give a reason for her termination, other than to say a bureaucratic change resulted in "the end of her appointment."

On Tuesday, Joan Fabian, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, said she was legally prevented from discussing the case.

"She was in an unclassified appointment," Fabian said, adding that the governor's office didn't pressure anyone in corrections to fire Holmgren. "She's filed a grievance, and as such I can't talk about the details."

Marty said that's not good enough.

"It's just dishonest," Marty said. "The Legislature passed a law last year trying to keep these positions from becoming political. Š It seems like the only reason she was being fired was because she had some concerns about a program that was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in another state."

Holmgren said all she wants is her $47,000-a-year job back ‹ a position she said has been her calling since she was a girl.

"As a Brownie, we visited the prison and brought Christmas gifts," she said. "I remember wanting to be with these women to help them."

The 57-year-old mother of two was ordained a Presbyterian pastor in 1978. A former chaplain for Macalester College, she was hired Jan. 11 as chaplain for the nearly 500 women imprisoned in Shakopee.

She said she caused a stir within the first few months of her half-year tenure.

With her supervisor's approval, she cracked down on two volunteer Christian programs that don't receive state funds. In one case, inmates she surveyed objected to how some of the volunteers were framing alcoholism, lesbianism and out-of-wedlock childbearing as sins. Volunteers from the other program, she said, unintentionally were bringing in contraband, ranging from extension cords to paper clips. And they were violating ‹ again unknowingly ‹ prison policies designed to reduce gang hierarchy by anointing some inmates to lead groups during testimonials.

The next month her supervisor told her, "The warden has heard from the commissioner that the governor wants you fired," she said.

In a strange twist resulting from the way she was terminated, on Monday, Holmgren was interviewed to be rehired to her old post.

"They asked me what my experience was," she said. "It was weird. I can't say I'm optimistic."

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/15175801.htm