As part of end-of-session budget negotiations, it was announced that the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater will be closed by June of 2029 through a phased process. The proposal included no plan for a replacement facility, instead stating that current prisoners will be sent to other facilities throughout the state.

“This is a shortsighted and alarming development – there were no committee hearings and no bill language on the issue, and I am very concerned that this proposal lacks the thorough vetting necessary for such a large change,” said Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), who serves as the Republican Lead on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “There is no question Stillwater Prison is old, but for the legislature to consider a change of this magnitude, we should have taken a far more deliberative approach. I’m concerned that this decision and the long-term ramifications put the public at risk. Instead of an order to close, we should hold hearings and get public input for a replacement prison. We should not move forward with this proposal until we have an adequate plan in place to house the inmates and relocate the staff.”

There is grave concern that this plan fails to consider the long-term ramifications of closing the state’s second-largest correctional facility. This morning, representatives from AFSCME and MAPE raised their concerns for families and employees who face tough decisions about their career and community ties with limited notice and information from the Administration or Department of Corrections.

“Democrats have been advocating to close a prison since I’ve been in the legislature and they finally got their wish,” said Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine), who also serves on the Judiciary Committee. “Soft on crime and early release policies made this move possible. Closing Stillwater will make it more difficult to reinstitute strong public safety measures in the future. Once again, we are going in the wrong direction on public safety in Minnesota. I’m concerned this will hamstring our ability to reverse course and will make Minnesota less safe overall, while putting jobs and communities at risk.”

Over the last few years, the Walz Administration has promoted legislation that reduces criminal sentences and sends fewer people to prison. This has been a concerted effort by Democrat legislators, who in 2023 passed “Get Out of Jail Free” legislation making 92% of the prison population eligible for early release through the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act.