MANSFIELD — The Richland Correctional Institution has announced its top employees of the year.
Officer David Dowler is the 2025 Correction Officer of the Year and Case Manager Cathy Donovan-Barre is the 2025 Employee of the Year for Richland Correctional Institution.
David Dowler
Officer David Dowler started in juvenile corrections in 1997 before joining Richland Correctional Institution in 1998, when RiCI opened.
He was a member of the first CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) class for ODRC in 2016 and currently serves as the CIT Coordinator for RiCI. His leadership and dedication to CIT have made a significant impact on the institution.
Officer Dowler has a unique ability to bring calm to a tense situation, keeping both staff and the incarcerated population safe in the process.
Officer Dowler has a wide variety of knowledge that he does not hesitate to share with new staff.
Outside of work, Officer Dowler is a devoted family man, married for over 30 years, who takes great pride in his family.
When speaking about him, his peers describe Officer Dowler as dependable, level-headed, empathetic, and professional.
Cathy Donovan-Barre
Case Manager Cathy Donovan-Barre has been with ODRC since 1999 and at RiCI since 2010.
During her time with the department, she has served in various roles at RiCI, ManCI, and with the Adult Parole Authority. She is actively involved in several different institutional committees as well as serving as a victim coordinator.
Donovan-Barre has been instrumental in overseeing numerous reentry initiatives and the Normalcy Unit.
She has also played a part in overseeing the community garden in which the incarcerated population grows crops that are donated to local food banks.
Outside of work, Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband of eight years, supporting youth sports activities, vacationing, and tending to her flower beds.
She has also been responsible for helping control the feral cat population in her neighborhood.
When speaking about her, her peers describe Case Manager Donovan-Barre as being reliable, efficient, organized, and hard-working.
Warden Angela Stuff
Warden Angela Stuff stresses that the Correction Officer of the Year and Employee of the Year are both tremendous honors, and that Richland Correctional Institution is lucky to have employees like David and Cathy who go above and beyond every day.
Their hard work and dedication make a difference in the lives of both staff and the incarcerated population, alike.
RiCI staff are all rooting for Officer Dowler as he competes for the 2025 Ronald C. Marshall Correction Officer of the Year Award (Correction Officer of the Year for all of ODRC.)