Minnesota corrections investigator welcomes phased closure of Stillwater prison
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
One of Minnesota’s oldest prisons, the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater, is set to close. That news came as part of a state budget deal reached Thursday. Lawmakers say the prison has become unsafe and would be too costly to maintain.
The phased closure will take place over four years and the more than 1,200 people incarcerated at Stillwater will be moved to other facilities across the state.
The Office of the Ombuds for Corrections, the state’s independent investigator of complaints about correctional facilities, released a report last year detailing its concerns about the deteriorating conditions. It listed the Stillwater prison as one of “highest needs,” with maintenance required for everything from plumbing to falling concrete and a lack of air conditioning.
“We know these issues go back decades,” said Margaret Zadra, ombudsperson for corrections. “And there’s been a lot of attempts over the decades to make the facility work and the issues just remain too significant.”
The office plans to continue monitoring the situation as the phased shut down gets implemented. With this closure comes an opportunity to re-evaluate, Zadra said.
“We know that better substance use treatment, better mental health care investments on the community side lead to a reduction on the correction side,” she said. “So, as a state we have an opportunity to decide how we want to invest our money."
For the full conversation with Zadra, use the audio player above.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
