Ex-Anoka Co. Work Release Officer Avoids Jail for Inmate Affair

Oct 23

A former Anoka County work release officer will avoid further jail time after admitting to a sexual relationship with an inmate she was assigned to supervise.

According to court records, 30-year-old Kendra Faye Dunblazier was sentenced on Wednesday to community service as part of the plea agreement.

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Dunblazier had entered a guilty plea in August to one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for engaging in sexual contact with an inmate at the Anoka County Workhouse between July and October 2024. A second count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct was dismissed as part of the plea deal.

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Investigators learned of the relationship after Dunblazier’s husband contacted jail administrators on Oct. 10, 2024, saying he had discovered text messages between his wife and an inmate. The messages included nude photos and plans to meet during the inmate’s work-release hours. Dunblazier resigned the same day she was notified of the investigation, the court documents said.

A search of the inmate’s vehicle later uncovered a handwritten note signed by Dunblazier professing love for him and investigators recovered more than 280 recorded jail calls between the two. In those calls, they discussed sexual encounters, referenced time with Dunblazier’s children and talked about her belief she was pregnant with his child. Dunblazier later admitted in a recorded interview that the two met for sex while he was on work release, though she said it never occurred inside the jail.

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At sentencing Wednesday, a judge stayed imposition of Dunblazier’s sentence, meaning the conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor if she successfully completes probation. She was placed on three years of supervised probation and must complete 150 hours of community service by the end of October 2028.

The court also required Dunblazier to undergo a psychosexual evaluation, participate in counseling, abstain from alcohol or non-prescribed drugs and register as a predatory offender for 10 years.

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