State leaders have agreed to a “phased closure,” by 2029, of the Stillwater state prison, citing safety and costly maintenance concerns at the historic facility.

The effort will end state investments in an aging facility and eliminate safety concerns at the prison for both staff and inmates, said Paul Schnell, state corrections commissioner, during a news conference Thursday.

The closure is expected to be completed in two phases upon passage of the public safety omnibus bill at the Legislature.

The first phase involves reducing operations and staffing over several months, moving inmates to other facilities and conducting studies on logistics, closure impacts and the site’s long-term future. The second phase begins in July of 2027 at which time the site will be vacated. Full closure is expected by June 30, 2029.

The closure will result in annual savings of more than $40 million, according to state officials.

Gov. Tim Walz weighed in on the closure at a separate Thursday news conference on a budget agreement announced by state leaders at the Capitol.

“It’s 111 years old,” Walz said. “There have been constant issues around the inability to provide safety towards the staff and safety towards the incarcerated individuals. The deferred maintenance that needs to be done to keep Stillwater even operational is becoming unsustainable.”

Safety and maintenance

The maximum security facility for adult male felons has 1,171 inmates. The facility has seven living units inside and also a minimum-security unit on the outside of the main perimeter.

It began as a territorial prison in 1853, before Minnesota was a state, built on the north side of the city of Stillwater. That prison operated until 1914 when it was closed and operations moved to the south of Stillwater in what is today Bayport.

Deferred maintenance needs at the prison — one of the oldest in the state — are estimated to cost $180 million, with a full-modernization or replacement of the site costing an estimated $1.3 billion, according to officials.

Despite the efforts of staff, conditions have deteriorated to a point that compromise safety and it represents a growing liability for the state, Schnell said at the news conference. The building has no central air and there are issues with windows, energy efficiency, as well as heating and plumbing, he said.

In 2023, a sit-in protest by approximately 100 inmates over conditions resulted in the prison going into lockdown for more than a day.

Officials do not see any immediate safety issues with the facility, Schnell said, and it will continue to keep around 500 beds open for the next two to three years during the transition.

“Literally on an annual basis, we’re investing tens of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance money into that facility, and at some point in time, a decision has to be made to move away from this,” Schnell said.

Currently, the facility has around 565 staff members. Reductions are expected, though officials will still need to determine the extent, Schnell said.

Transfer logistics

Around half of the inmates at Stillwater prison will be transferred to the state’s nine other male facilities, while others will remain at Stillwater as operations are reduced. There also is the possibility that inmates at other facilities will move to Stillwater during the phased closure. Placement decisions to be made based on security classification, program offerings and inmate health care needs, according to Schnell.

“So a staff contingent made up of capacity management folks as well as people, wardens from across the system will begin to look at classifications, security classification levels, of different incarcerated people in the facility, and begin to make those transitions based upon their needs and the facilities that we have open beds that can meet those individual needs,” he said.

The facility was put into a lockdown state Thursday, which is common in instances like this, Schnell said.

“Part of this is so we can communicate with staff,” he said. “Part of this is so we can communicate with the population. And we know that that transition to different facilities, even for incarcerated people, will be, in some cases, challenging.”

Union, local response

Labor union leaders representing correctional officers and staff in the state department of corrections are against the closure due to what they call risks to public safety as well as correctional staff and inmates, according to a Thursday statement.

“This is not just a prison — it is a vital institution in Minnesota’s corrections system,” said Bart Andersen, executive director of AFSCME Council 5, in the statement. “The proposed closure of the Stillwater Correctional Facility undoubtedly puts lives on the line, overcrowds other facilities, destabilizes our system, and may unjustly displace hundreds of dedicated workers and their families.”

Union leaders could not be reached for further comment on Thursday.

Others expressed surprise at the news.

State Rep. Josiah Hill, DFL-Stillwater, in a statement, said that he was informed of the closure Thursday, calling it a “difficult development” to process in the final hours of legislative session.

“While there is no question that the facility was in unacceptable condition that endangered both correctional staff and incarcerated persons, there is also no question that it is an integral piece to the fabric and history of our community,” Hill said.

In a joint statement, Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Chair Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, and House Public Safety Chair Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview, called the closure the right decision, citing flooding and extreme temperatures at the facility.

“The legislature is committed to working with the staff at the facility and labor unions to ensure as minimal staff impact as possible through this process, and to ensure the Department of Corrections provides clarity and choice when possible,” the statement read.

Justin Terrell, executive director of the Minnesota Justice Research Center, a nonprofit focused on the criminal legal system, commended the decision, which he described — along with the facility in St. Cloud — as “crumbling, expensive, and inhumane.”

Alex Derosier contributed to this report.