Minnesota DOC outlines plans to move inmates from Stillwater prison ahead of closure
Stillwater prison to close in phases over 4 years
The State of Minnesota will be closing the aging prison in Stillwater in phases, with a full closure expected by the end of June 2029. FOX 9's Mary McGuire has the story.
STILLWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A memo from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) is outlining plans to begin reducing inmate population at the Stillwater prison, which is slated to close.
Stillwater prison closure
The backstory:
State officials announced plans to close Stillwater prison last month as part of a budget agreement. The Minnesota DOC said the prison would be closed in phases over the next four years.
Gov. Walz said the decision to close the 111-year-old prison was made in part because of decaying infrastructure and high costs to maintain and modernize the prison.
By closing the prison, the state will save $40 million per year.
Local perspective:
The Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater was built in 1914, and is the second-oldest prison facility and the largest "close-security" institution for adult men in the state.
The prison houses 1,100 incarcerated individuals and employs about 560 staff members. Staff and inmates have complained about conditions at the prison for years, including inmates protesting over clean water in 2023.
Plan to reduce prison population
What's new?:
In a new memo, DOC commissioner Paul Schnell outlined plans to begin reducing inmate population at the prison.
The memo states that the state will continue transferring inmates to other prisons, as they work to reduce the Stillwater population by half in coming months. However, starting in October, some inmates will be transferred to Stillwater, as part of an "earned living units" program – which is a program that rewards inmates with exceptional behavior with increased freedom.
The DOC will use a rubric to decide which inmates get transferred, based on a variety of criteria, including safety concerns, classification level, program participation, medical needs, and space available. Inmates enrolled in a higher education program will be allowed to finish the current summer semester at Stillwater. Officials say they will work to ensure education programs aren't interrupted as inmates are transferred.