Minnesota's prisons to see a senior-staff remake

Minnesota's Department of Corrections is shuffling the top ranks at most of the state's prisons and other correctional facilities, agency employees learned in an internal memo this week.

Between now and September, seven of the state's prisons will have new wardens. Most of that will occur by rotating existing wardens to different posts.

There are two new wardens: Bill Bolin takes charge next week at the Willow River/Moose Lake facility. Guy Bosch takes the helm at the maximum-security Stillwater prison next month.

Lino Lakes, Rush City, St. Cloud and Stillwater will get their new leaders in July, with the changes at Faribault and Shakopee to come after Labor Day.

Only the correctional facilities Oak Park Heights, Red Wing and Togo will keep their current wardens.

Assistant Corrections Commissioner Nate Knutson said in Wednesday's memo to all agency staff that the repositioning might appear chaotic on its face. But, he wrote, such rotations are common in state prison systems elsewhere and "in reality it provides a wider range of skills and perspectives to all the facilities within the state."

The agency itself is under new management after the appointment of Paul Schnell as commissioner under first-year Gov. Tim Walz.

"Stability of leadership is important, and our wardens have and provide that level of stability; but I believe by making these moves we will provide the facilities division of the Department of Corrections with a change in perspective at all levels," Knutson wrote.