First Female Warden to Lead North Dakota Maximum Security Prison
Robyn Schmalenberger will be the first woman to direct a maximum security prison in North Dakota. Leann Bertsch, director of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, announced today that Schmalenberger, a 17-year veteran of the department, had been promoted to director of the North Dakota State Penitentiary. Announcement in the Bismarck Tribune.
Schmalenberger will replace Tim Schuetzle, who is retiring at the end of the month after nearly 20 years as prison warden and more than 30 years with the department.
Schmalenberger began her career with the department in 1993 as a probation officer supervising adult offenders and specializing in supervision of sex offenders. She was involved in the organization and implementation of the Fargo Drug Court in 2002 and the development of re-entry programs in Bismarck and Fargo in 2003. Schmalenberger was promoted to director of transitional facilities in 2007, which put her in charge of managing the minimum-security Missouri River Correctional Center and handling contract obligations of transitional facilities throughout the state.
Schmalenberger, who is licensed as a peace officer social worker and certified as a corrections officer, received an associate degree in criminal justice from Bismarck State College and a bachelor of science degree with a double major in social work and social/behavioral science from the University of Mary. She recently graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. She completed the National Institute of Corrections’ courses in executive training for new wardens and in correctional leadership.
Schmalenberger was selected from a group of four finalists, which also included Patrick Bohn, director of transitional planning services and the clerk of the parole board, Kevin Arthaud, chief of security at the James River Correctional Center and Mike Froemke, director of treatment at the state penitentiary and the DOCR’s adult services division.
Uncategorized