Over the years, Bluestem has written extensively about the CoreCivic-owned Prairie Correction Facility in Appleton, MN.
We were happy to see Dam Wolgamott's bill banning private prisons pass on the floor of the Minnesota House on Friday night, especially after hearing the Republican minority caucus's pity party for the city of Appleton.
Former Minority Leader Kurt Daudt offered an amendment on the floor, one that would have the state rent CoreCivic's facility--for which the privare corrections corporation hasn't secured a contract to house federal or state convicts since it closed the facility in 2010. Nothing like a little corporate welfare.
Perhaps the most absurd weepy talking point in the Republican death song for the west prairie town was the refrain about Appleton's drop in population beginning in 2010. In fact, the town's drop in population between 2000 and 2010 was mostly because of the--wait for it--loss of the prison population itself.
There's the population arch from US Census figures found on the Wikipedia page for the town:
| 1980 | 1,842 | 3.0% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,552 | −15.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,871 | 85.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,412 | −50.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,392 | −1.4% |
Yes, in the ten years after the prisoners departed, the town lost ten people. Heaven know why they stuck around with the facility closed, if what the Republican lawmakers said outloud is true.
House passes private prison prohibition
By Tim WalkerMinnesota’s only privately owned prison is the Prairie Correctional Facility, built by the city of Appleton.
The 1,600-bed, medium-security prison opened in 1992, and although maintained, has been vacant since closing in 2010.
Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL-St. Cloud) said he has several reasons for it to stay closed, but foremost on his list: “Public safety is not for sale.”
“Criminal justice is a core responsibility of our state government. It should be done by those who are accountable to the public, not who are incentivized by profits,” he said at a news conference prior to Thursday’s House floor session.
Wolgamott sponsors HF1200 that would ban the Department of Corrections from housing inmates in privately owned jails and prisons.
As amended twice, the House passed the bill 70-61 late Thursday. It now goes to the Senate.
Privately owned prisons have a business model that incentivizes keeping prisoners incarcerated longer, Wolgamott said, and that runs counter to the state’s efforts to rehabilitate people and reintegrate them into society.
“Providing public safety is a core responsibility of government. Minnesotans deserve a corrections system that keeps them safe by reducing recidivism” House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said in a statement. “Corporations are required to put their profits first. Prison corporations have a record of being more dangerous for staff and incarcerated individuals. It's time for us to take a clear stand and say that private prisons will not be allowed to operate in Minnesota.”
Rep. Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) unsuccessfully offered an amendment that would have allowed the Department of Corrections to house inmates at the Prairie Correctional Facility, provided the department leases the space and staffs it exclusively with public employees.
He said the Appleton prison is much newer than any of the state’s other 11 prisons and would therefore provide better services to inmates, help relieve overcrowding at other prisons, and may delay or prevent the need to build another prison. It’d also boost employment in the area.
Wolgamott said those reasons were not compelling enough to overcome the disadvantages of using the facility: it’s too far from a major hospital, which would jeopardize inmate safety; and it’s too far from the metropolitan area, where many of the inmates’ families would likely be living.
Here are the Minnesota House Information Services YouTubes of the floor debate:
Part One:
Part Two:
Related posts:
- Private prison prohibition heads to House floor
- Republican Senate & House federal PACs took $5000 from CoreCivic PAC in 2018
- Disconnect: town hall attendees want prison repurposed as inmate mental health care facility
- 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
- Probably didn't read Art of the Deal: Miller a-okay with buying $15 million prison for $99 million
- Swift Co Monitor endorses Falk, & all Tim Miller got was some lousy cash from CCA execs
- #Mnleg ordered study: Appleton private prison bed rent more expensive than county jail cell.
- Opposition to CoreCivic bid to re-open Appleton Prison as ICE detention center meet to Tuesday
- 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
- Bill Ingebrigtsen wants to convert closed Appleton Prison into a mental health facility
- Immigrants for Sale: Will Appleton's shuttered private prison open in human trafficking scheme?
- Tim Miller's Prairie Correctional Facility flyer: clueless about DHS & DOC funding distinctions
Photo: Aerial view of Appleton, Minnesota. The prison is on the bottom third of the photograph.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6
Comments