At the end of West central Minn. legislators continue efforts to reopen Appleton prison, the West Central Tribune's Tom Cherveny reports:
State legislators Tim Miller and Andrew Lang said they hear one question more than any other in their districts: “What’s the latest on the Appleton prison?”
“There’s not a lot of news, but there is some news,” said Rep. Miller, R-Prinsburg, to start his answer to the question. He and Sen. Andrew Lang, R-Olivia, hosted approximately 70 people at a town hall meeting Wednesday evening, Dec. 11, in Appleton. . . .
One of the other big challenges for the facility is that it is impossible to repurpose it from its role as a prison, Miller said.
Yet many in the audience encouraged the legislators to consider it for a new role. They would like to see the facility adapted to offer mental health care for persons serving prison sentences.
The legislators also heard from audience members on the need for child care services, affordable housing and improved access to mental health services in rural communities.
This idea has been shared for a number of years as we reported in Bill Ingebrigtsen wants to convert closed Appleton Prison into a mental health facility (former state representative Andrew Falk, defeated by Miller for the seat, also liked the idea).
There's another weird disconnect in the article. Miller claims:
Miller said he has now had two heart-to-heart conversations on the prison with new Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell. “He recognizes Prairie Correctional Facility is a legitimate correctional facility,” said Miller of those conversations. “He knows it has to be a part of the discussion.”
He said he believes the commissioner will be willing to tour the facility, although he said such a visit will be a private one.
This is fascinating stuff, since Paul Schnell works for Governor Tim Walz. In March, Morris's radio station KMRS/KKOK reported in Walz Speaks Out Against Private Prisons:
Governor Tim Walz told hundreds of AFSCME (AFFS-mee) state employee union members at a State Capitol rally Tuesday afternoon:
“As long as I have the privilege of occupying this office, there will never be a private prison in Minnesota!”
Over the years proposals have been unsuccessfully floated to revive the state’s only private prison — Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton — which now stands dormant. Some bills proposed Minnesota lease or buy the prison and staff it with state employee union members. A Walz spokesperson says the governor opposes either leasing or buying because his goal is to reduce Minnesota’s prison population. Backers of a re-opened prison say it would be a needed boost to the Appleton area economy.
House Democratic Majority Leader Ryan Winkler introduced a bill earlier this year that would ban private prisons from doing business in Minnesota. He argues Minnesota prisons should not be run by corporations that put profits ahead of public safety.
There's that.
Related posts:
- MN Sen. Andrew Lang and Rep. Tim Miller to hold Dec. 11 town hall on Appleton's private prison
- MN Republican Senate & House federal PACs took $5000 from CoreCivic PAC in 2018
- Opposition to CoreCivic bid to re-open Appleton Prison as ICE detention center meet to Tuesday
- Bill Ingebrigtsen wants to convert closed Appleton Prison into a mental health facility
- #Mnleg ordered study: Appleton private prison bed rent more expensive than county jail cell
- Land Stewardship Project: LSP member leaders oppose ICE detention facility at Appleton prison
- West Central Tribune coverage of opposition to possible use of Appleton CoreCivic prison by ICE
Photo: The closed private prison in Appleton. via St. Paul Pioneer Press.
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