Let's talk about Minnesota's Crumbling Prisons: Event recap + a statement on the state's decision to close MCF-Stillwater
- MN Justice Research Center
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
On Thursday, May 8th, the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) hosted a powerful event alongside We Are All Criminals at the Weisman Art Museum titled "Let's Talk About Minnesota's Crumbling Prisons: A Community Conversation."
At this event, we convened over 80 community members for a conversation about the viability of the century-old Minnesota Correctional Facilities in Stillwater and St. Cloud. After folks had a chance to walk through the powerful SEEN exhibit on carceral spaces and coming home, our partners from the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) and the Minnesota Office of Ombuds for Corrections presented compelling research on the conditions of the two correctional facilities. We ended the evening with guided, small-group reflection to reimagine the future of these prisons together.
One week later, Governor Walz announced the closing of Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater, a humane yet difficult decision to make.
Below is MNJRC's official statement on the decision.
The following quote can be attributed to Justin Terrell, Executive Director of MNJRC:
“The Minnesota Justice Research Center hosted a community conversation on May 8 to explore recent research on and discuss the future of our state’s crumbling, expensive, and inhumane prisons in Stillwater and St. Cloud. While we commend the state’s recent decision to close Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater, as an organization grounded in community, we know that a decision of such magnitude must include those most impacted in the plan to carry it out. With the input of incarcerated people and correctional staff, we encourage the state to devise a plan that reduces Minnesota’s prison population, improves working conditions for staff, and provides residents with real rehabilitative opportunities to prepare them to re-enter society. The conversation shouldn’t end at closing Stillwater—this is an opportunity to critically reimagine incarceration in Minnesota.”
The following quote can be attributed to Zeke Caligiuri, Community Engagement Manager at MNJRC and advocate for incarcerated individuals and their families:
“There is the utmost need to consider the lives that are directly impacted by this decision including the 1,100 men currently incarcerated at Stillwater. At other significant points in the history of these institutions these voices have not been listened to. There has to be an addressing of the needs of the long-term population that will be displaced with these moves. And the state must commit to making sure all the facilities within the system are addressing the human needs of these people during this transition.”
RESOURCES
Here are some resources that contextualize both our community conversation and the broader question of what comes next:
1. Check out this one-pager that synthesizes what we know — the findings from the Office of Ombuds for Corrections and the Crime & Justice Institute, firsthand accounts, and data from the DOC — and offers some considerations and next steps as we think about where we go from here. You can come back to this anytime by visiting mnjrc.org/resources.
2. Read the reports presented at our event:
Office of the Ombuds for Corrections: "Crumbling Conditions Create Crisis in Minnesota Prisons - February 2025 Update"
Crime & Justice Institute: "Assessment of the Urgent Challenges in Minnesota's Prison System"
Both reports are also at mnjrc.org/other-resources.
4. Learn more about and digitally interact with the SEEN Exhibit and explore the work of We Are All Criminals
5. Click HERE to read our Op-Ed released before the announcement
6. Watch our mini-series of reels where folks formerly incarcerated at Stillwater discuss the conditions:
Stay in the know
Keep up with MNJRC so you don't miss opportunities to continue contributing to this conversation. Instagram: @MinnJRCFacebook & LinkedIn: Minnesota Justice Research Center
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The closing of Stillwater is going to be a difficult conversation for at least four years, so we have lots of work to do. We aim to make sure this institution is decommissioned in a way that is fair, equitable, holds people and the system accountable and centers the humanity of residents and workers involved.