In honor of Women's History Month, the Department of Corrections will highlight some of the exceptional women who work for the DOC and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. We are grateful for the wonderful women who work in Pennsylvania's criminal justice system.
Mary Jo Wall
Corrections Officer 1
SCI Mahanoy
Mary Jo Wall began her career with the DOC on July 23, 1999. Since that time, she has worked various posts throughout the institution and, most recently, has been assigned to the Security Team for the past 15 years.
Mary Jo is instrumental in gathering intelligence through her skill in monitoring of inmate phone calls, mail screening and her keen observations as CCTV monitor. Her intelligence gathering, knowledge and observations have been a determining factor for the Security Office in multiple drug introduction cases.
The success of a recent Mahanoy drug find – the largest in the history of the institution – was given to Mary Jo as she identified, interpreted and tracked inmate phone calls that led to the find of 75 pages of different colored construction paper soaked in liquid K2, 735.5 grams of synthetic marijuana and 109 full strips suboxone.
In addition to her devotion to the Security Team, Mary Jo is also a member of the SCI Mahanoy's Fire Emergency Response Team (FERT), attending the basic FERT school and radiology course. Mary Jo also a member of the prison's honor guard, serves as the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation liaison for SCI Mahanoy, and is a committed member of the institution's Employee Recreation Association.
Theresa Kuzo
Institutional Business Manager 3
SCI Mahanoy
Terri Kuzo, SCI Mahanoy's institutional business manager 3, joined the DOC in 1998 as an accountant 1 responsible for overseeing inmate accounts. She promoted to budget analyst in 2002. In 2004, the Business Offices at SCIs Mahanoy and Frackville consolidated, leaving Terri as the sole budget analyst for two institutions. She met with most of the Business Office Staff of SCI Frackville and coordinated the move and of course a welcoming party!
She served as the sole budget analyst until September 2006, when SCI Mahanoy hired an accountant 2. Relief at last.
In December 2011, Terri was asked to act as the business manager for SCI Chester to help get them cleaned up and back on track. She was required to continue her duties as the budget analyst for SCI Mahanoy, while also functioning as the acting business manager for Chester. This lasted through March 2012. In those four months she cleared out the (massive) backlog, trained Business Office personnel on proper procedures, and trained the business manager that they hired, mentoring him well after her departure. Terri served as acting business manager for SCI Mahanoy from July through October 2014, when she was promoted to business manager 3 – business manager for both SCI Mahanoy and Frackville.
To celebrate the promotion, Terri went to Disney and ran her first of six half-marathons. She also has been mentoring Cindy Troup, business manager for SCI Muncy since her promotion.
In addition to all of her business manager work, Terri also assisted the SCI Mahanoy and SCI Frackville's employee recreation associations by helping them obtain tax exempt status. She also served as the treasurer for the ERA for several years. In addition she served as SECA co-chairman for two years; coordinated the blood drives for quite a few years; served as treasurer for the prison's Relay For Life Team; raised money for the MS lock-up in Pottsville; ran a very successful canned goods/monetary donation for WNEP's Feed a Friend program – proceeds to Pottsville's Salvation Army; and served on SCI Mahanoy's 25th Anniversary Committee.
Jeanne MacKnight
Corrections Classification and Program Manager
SCI Mahanoy
Jeanne MacKnight obtained her Master's Degree from Temple University and is a licensed social worker. She has been with the DOC since June of 1998, beginning her career as a corrections counselor.
In addition to case work, she facilitated Anger Management, Parenting and Impact of Crime classes. She was promoted to unit manager in 2004 and to Corrections Classification and Program Manager in 2009.
Jeanne runs an extremely large department and can always be counted on to support her staff. She has stepped in and fulfilled the duties of department heads through numerous vacancies. She is steadfast and can be counted on to provide professional and consistent leadership to her staff. Her dedication to help her staff and the inmate population is remarkable. She also balances her work with a family. She has been married for 20 years and has one daughter.