In We've got a little ruckus there': State Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen outlines his legislative priorities during town hall meeting in Perham, Carter Jones reports at the Perham Focus that Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen wants to convert the privately-owned Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton to a mental health facility.
The notion isn't entirely original to the former sheriff. In 2016, former state representative Andrew Falk campaigned in part on Out-of-the-box ideas for Appleton prison that boiled down to buying the facility at its assessed value and converting "it into primarily a mental health, chemical dependency, and jobs training facility for the state."
Falk was seeking to regain the seat he'd lost to Prinsburg Republican Tim Miller, now New Republican House Caucus member; Miller is the chief advocate for leasing or buying the prison for use as a prison.
At the Focus, Carter reports:
Mental health is a major priority of Ingebrigtsen,and he says he will continue to ensure resources and infrastructure exists to treat people with mental illness. He and Nornes both agree that more alternatives are needed to assist the mentally ill in the wake of regional treatment center closings in recent years. Many of those same people who would have received help in RTCs oftentimes end up in county jails.
Other facilities do exist, but there are not enough beds to meet the needs of those afflicted with mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse.
Ingebrigtsen is looking into converting the now empty Appleton Prison into a mental health facility to ensure more emergency beds are available.
While Bluestem is sympathetic to Falk and Ingebrigtsen's concept, we're skeptical about the cost of rehabbing a prison to house people living with mental health issues--and hauling them to one facility in west central Minnesota. As we reported last year in #Mnleg ordered study: Appleton private prison bed rent more expensive than county jail cell, "As far as purchasing the facility, the report notes: "Total fifteen year purchase and construction value invested by the State of $196.5 million.""
That price tag is for buying and upgrading the prison for use as a prison. Surely, re-purposing the prison as a mental health facility would be even more expensive.
One side note: the ruckus in the title of Jones' article concerns Tim Miller's self-expulsion from the House Republican Caucus:
Ingebrigtsen said he anticipates a busy legislative session, but the change in balance leaves room for uncertainty. Since the last session, control of the house has flipped from Republican to Democratic control by 20 votes. Among the Republicans, four are wildcards, and it's uncertain which direction they'll be voting, according to Ingebrigtsen. "We got a little ruckus there," Ingebrigtsen said.
Indeed. Those four, along with fellow traveler Eric Lucero, did not vote Tuesday along with other Minnesota House Republican members for Kurt Daudt as speaker--but passed.
Photo: Minnesota State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, via Minnesota Senate Republicans.
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No MN Does not need 1 Large treatment facility for Mental Health. Clients are then to far from home,family and support persons which are very important
Posted by: Roger Schaeffer | Jan 09, 2019 at 10:47 AM