Northeast Regional Corrections Center is ‘one-of-a-kind’
The Northeast Regional Corrections Center (NERCC), a 144-bed facility about a half-hour from Duluth, sits on 3,200 acres and operates Minnesota’s only correctional work farm. The minimum-and medium-security center includes a greenhouse, meat processing facility and market, and offers inmates a variety of work and life skill programs.
“We raise pigs and chickens and turkeys. And then we also process those animals at the facility, which, in turn, you know, feeds the men there,” NERCC Division Director, Kathy Lionberger told WTIP. “We also grow our own vegetables. We grow corn and cauliflower and peas and beans.”
The facility is part of Arrowhead Regional Corrections (ARC), a five-county joint powers agency that covers Koochiching, Lake, St. Louis, Carlton and Cook counties.
The facility is Minnesota’s only correctional work farm. It is a unique place that offers a wide range of programming for men who are sentenced while also providing opportunities for them to earn job and life skills that they can use once they’ve left NERCC.
“They can earn a certificate in ServSafe. They can earn a certificate as a food manager license. They can also get a basic mechanic certificate. And then in the meat processing facility, they get, you know, if they’ve done 65 plus hours in there, they will get that certificate,” Lionberger said.
The facility offers dorm-style housing, with bunk assignments based on programming. Residents are placed on work crews tied to their interests, fostering accountability and skill development.
ARC’s most recent recidivism study found that 83% of NERCC’s general population did not commit a new felony offense within two years, compared to 66% statewide. Among men in the center’s chemical dependency program, 76% avoided new felony convictions within two years, compared to 66% of participants in standard chemical dependency programs.
“Certainly not every man is appropriate for NERCC, but those who are we actually, when they’re doing time and serving a sentence, you know, they’re being productive, they’re learning life skills,” ARC’s Executive Director Becky Pogatchnik told WTIP, “They have therapy. We have chemical dependency groups, cognitive skills, looking at criminal thinking, changing our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs. Those are the things that affect and impact recidivism. So we’re really fortunate in our five counties, because if we didn’t have NERCC, our men would just be doing jail time.”.
Northeast Regional Corrections Center has been in the same location since 1930 and was initially utilized for men with alcohol problems. The facility was originally a full logging, lathe mill, dairy, laundry, beef, poultry, and hog operation. Many of the farm’s original buildings are still standing and being used.
“In The Northeast Regional Corrections Center, we have an exceptional facility that models programming that is very human and relational,” Cook County Commissioner Garry Gamble said during a July ARC board meeting. “This is evidenced by the testimonies and outcomes achieved by participants. We are fortunate to be aligned with this highly regarded evidenced-based resource.”
When ARC was formed in 1976, NERCC became one of its divisions. As sentencing practices shifted, the population has evolved from low-level offenders to individuals serving sentences for felony and gross misdemeanor offenses.
“This is a one-of-a-kind program,” Pogatchnik told WTIP. “So, you know, there’s an investment, but we believe it pays dividends in terms of changing lives and improving public safety.”
WTIP spoke with NERCC Division Director Kathy Lionberger and ARC Executive Director Becky Pogatchnik about NERCC and ARC’s philosophy. The audio of that interview can be found below.
Josh Hinke September 23, 2025
