As part of end-of-session budget negotiations in May, it was announced that the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF) in Stillwater would be closed by June 2029 through a phased process. The closure was a last-minute addition to the Judiciary and Public Safety Conference Committee Report and occurred without any meaningful opportunity for input by most legislators, MCF-Stillwater staff, or the public.

Because of the lack of transparency, Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to Judiciary Chairs in both the House and the Senate, asking for a public hearing on the closure.

“Prior to the announcement of Stillwater’s closure, there were no committee hearings to discuss the closure, so it was a shock to hear it was placed in the final budget bill without any input from legislators, officers, or family members of those incarcerated,” said Senator. Warren Limmer (R- Maple Grove) the lead Republican on the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. “A change like this deserves proper vetting. Governor Walz and his Department of Corrections Commissioner did a great disservice to the public when they circumvented that process.”

Employees at the facility are facing uncertainty regarding employment and have raised the alarm about opaque nature of the process. Because of the lack of planning, employees of the Stillwater facility have begun sounding the alarm, expressing public concern that the plan is “dangerous” and “disrespectful to staff”. Additionally, family members of those incarcerated have also expressed concerns about their ability to visit loved ones and maintaining access to important documents when they could be transferred to facilities several hours away.

“Changes like this should happen in the open and not be done behind closed doors – when state dollars and state officials are dictating these massive changes that will affect many individuals in the state, it is our duty to make sure these discussions are held in an arena that provides for public input from those affected,” said Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine). “The Republican members of the Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to Chairs Latz, Moller, and Novotny asking for an immediate public hearing to provide transparency in the process. Even though the plan has been set in motion by Governor Walz and Commissioner Schnell, the public deserves the opportunity to engage and provide feedback throughout this process.”

The letter, which was sent on August 8, was signed by Senators Warren Limmer, Michael Kreun, Karin Housley, Jeff Howe, and Torrey Westrom.

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