Inmate-rights groups demand say in Stillwater prison closure plan

Members of inmate-rights organizations gathered Thursday in Bayport to demand input into the Minnesota Department of Corrections plan to shutter the Stillwater prison by Among their demands No new prisons No double-bunking Permission for those serving life sentences to remain at Stillwater through the end of the year Full implementation of the Minnesota Rehabilitation Reinvestment Act before transferring any inmate MRRA allows qualified inmates a chance to shave an additional percent off their sentences This move is too big of a move to happen without the input of greater wider public input specifically justice-impacted people who have served time in Stillwater revealed Antonio Williams the co-executive director of T O N E U P Inc an organization that helps people leaving incarceration These demands must be included during this transition About men are housed in the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater which is located in Bayport Among them is Cornelius Jackson who is serving life in prison without the possibility of release after being uncovered guilty in of aiding and abetting first-degree murder We re here the present day not just because Stillwater is closing we re here because real lives are being uprooted and disrupted Alissa Washington Jackson s fianc e narrated the small crowd gathered at Lakeside Park just a mile south of the prison People who have been in this facility for decades are now being moved like baggage Let me be very clear this transition is happening so it must be done with care accountability and dignity Special care must be taken with the inmates personal property including photos legal documents clothing and books disclosed Washington founder of Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council-MN And when personal property arrives at the new facility it must be accepted regardless of a different warden s rules she announced It s not right to force someone to repurchase clothes or essentials just because the rules changed from one prison to another That s cruelty not agenda Zero double-bunking is the preference but if bunking must happen inmates must have the right to choose their cellmate Washington reported It is reckless and dangerous to place someone from the Aryan Nation in a cell with a practicing Muslim That s not just bad framework it s how you get people hurt or killed and we re not going to stand by and allow that This transition should not create new trauma she disclosed It should not impact in violence lost property or emotional harm These are not numbers they are people people who we love who are surviving in cages Phased closure State leaders last week agreed to a phased closure of the Stillwater prison citing safety and costly maintenance concerns at the facility which was built in Related Articles St Paul faith-based nonprofit leader charged with possessing child pornography Vandals trash part of Alliance Bank Center in downtown St Paul Groundswell cafe in St Paul temporarily closes after fire Ramsey County leaders remind residents Safe gun storage saves lives George Floyd Minneapolis St Paul events mark his death region response Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell stated the closure would end state investments in an aging facility and eliminate safety concerns at the prison for both staff and inmates 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 prisons and conducting studies on logistics closure impacts and the site s long-term future corrections bureaucrats disclosed During the second phase which is slated to begin in July the site will be vacated Full closure is expected by June Unions representing correction officers and staff at Stillwater have called for a halt to the plan calling the budget agreement that includes the closure shortsighted downright dangerous disruptive and deeply disrespectful to the workers that keep the society safe and the inmates safe A corrections spokeswoman noted the organizers of Thursday s press conference had not reached out to Schnell to offer their suggestions but that he would be open to gaining their perspectives and insights and planned to connect with them to schedule a meeting In response to a question about whether corrections would adopt the safety protocols for the transition proposed by the inmate-rights groups Shannon Loehrke the agency s director of communications mentioned leaders were not prepared to discuss them at this time Safety and shield are dependably primary considerations in the Department of Corrections she revealed Minnesota Rehabilitation Reinvestment Act Loehrke announced the phased closure of the Stillwater facility is entirely separate from the implementation of the Minnesota Rehabilitation Reinvestment Act which she disclosed is in the very early implementation stage with pilots at the prisons in Shakopee and Moose Lake The department is keenly focused on flourishing implementation of MRRA policies and we will not compromise effective intervention efforts she reported A long-term plan for rehabilitating or replacing the Stillwater and St Cloud prison was recommended in by the Office of the Legislative Auditor in a assessment titled Safety in State Correctional Facilities Loehrke reported The phased closure of Stillwater is regarded as a step in the direction recommended by the OLA she disclosed As the phased closure plan is implemented the DOC demands to ensure that the state has modern safe and secure correctional facility limit to serve the long-term requirements of Minnesota s criminal-justice system Related Articles Pioneer Press patio guide Wring every second out of summer at these Twin Cities spots Pioneer Press patio guide Along the water and scenic spots Truck driver tells trooper he was distracted by map before Washington County fatal crash Woodbury officers seek info on rug connected to house fire Landfall Village is about to declare its independence Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the Stillwater State Prison Historic District in Bayport includes the original walled compound designed by architect Clarence H Johnston Sr and constructed in - along with its associated staff housing area DOC agents announced Thursday that there will be a decommissioning evaluation to figure out achievable future uses for the correctional facility and site which sits on about acres The survey will explore options for decommissioning and vacating the facility s physical and safety infrastructure analysis of requirements for buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and examination of progress opportunities for the site Loehrke disclosed DOC officers reached out to Bayport functionaries last week after the announcement of the closure was made Bayport Mayor Michele Hanson stated At this point it s too early for us to have any comment other than we hope that everything transitions smoothly and that we re involved in the process as to what happens with the site she stated