Stillwater warden awarded reinstatement after inappropriate behavior firing

The Minnesota Department of Corrections is currently reviewing the decision of an arbitrator who granted reinstatement for a prison warden who was fired last year for inappropriate behavior, according to a spokesperson.

Warden Steve Hammer of the Stillwater Correctional Facility was terminated last October after an internal investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment. He appealed that decision soon after and officially won Tuesday, making it possible that he may receive his old job back--though the facility's website still lists Eddie Miles as the current warden. 

A statement from a DOC spokesperson said the department is "currently reviewing the decision" and deciding on its next steps, though the full arbitration decision will not be available publicly for some time.

Hammer's career in corrections began in 1991, with several reprimands for similar behavior in the past.

In 2003 he served a one-day suspension for inappropriate behavior, admitting that he engaged in "flirtatious email/phone conversation things once in a while." Again in 2014, Hammer was reprimanded for carrying out a romantic relationship with an employee, causing "staff to question their confidence, trust and respect for the office of the warden," according to the DOC. 

The most recent investigation was internal and did not include an outside criminal probe, meaning Hammer never faced charges for his actions. Prior to his termination he made around $134,000 a year