Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College students in the CORR 2025: Best Practices in Corrections class had the amazing opportunity to hear Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy on Tuesday evening, April 26. Commissioner Roy’s guest lecture provided an overview of the Minnesota Corrections system, covering varied topics including current issues, sentencing practices, and challenges in legislation.
Commissioner Roy grew up in Cloquet and still maintains a residence in the Sawyer area. He is a 1970 graduate of Cloquet Senior High School and has built a 40+ year career in corrections that led him to the top Corrections position in Minnesota. Roy was appointed as Commissioner by Governor Dayton five years ago and leads the 4,200 employees in the Minnesota Department of Corrections and manages its $1.1 billion annual budget.
Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, Roy started his career as a probation officer for Arrowhead Regional Corrections, then earned a promotion to chief probation officer, covering a five-county region in northeastern Minnesota. He ultimately worked his way up to become Executive Director of Arrowhead Regional Corrections in 2002 and served in that position until his appointment as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College course co-instructors Terry Fawcett and Cheryl Harder arranged Commissioner Roy’s presentation in class and visit to campus.
Commissioner Tom Roy

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