Inside prison walls: Stillwater on pace to close by 2029 but some want it to stay open

Stillwater prison 2.0: Barbers, gardeners and artists. The DOC is testing ‘earned living units’ prior to 2029 closure.

The Stillwater prison looks, smells and sounds like a completely different place these days. As Minnesota Department of Corrections officials prepare for the upcoming closure of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater in Bayport in 2029, entire cell blocks have been shuttered. The prison’s population, once 1,200, is now just 503. The number of staff working at the prison also has dropped dramatically. In June, when the phased closure was …

Inside prison walls: Stillwater on pace to close by 2029 but some want it to stay open

A plan to close Stillwater prison caught many people by surprise, including lawmakers who ultimately voted to do that as part of last year’s budget negotiations.