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Department of Corrections requests $1 million for studies to plan Stillwater prison decommissioning and seeks asset‑preservation funds
Summary
The Department of Corrections asked the Capital Investment Committee for $1 million in general‑fund cash to complete decommissioning and management studies for the Stillwater Correctional Facility and requested $44 million in GO bonds plus $9 million in general fund for asset‑preservation needs across DOC facilities.
Deputy Commissioner Safia Khan told the Capital Investment Committee on April 29 that the Department of Corrections (DOC) seeks $1,000,000 in general fund cash to conduct two studies — a decommissioning study and a management study — to plan for the eventual closure of the Stillwater Correctional Facility and to guide the logistics of vacating the site.
Khan said Stillwater, one of the state’s oldest prisons, has significant deferred maintenance and safety issues documented in the 2020 Office of Legislative Auditor report and in DOC assessments. DOC estimates it has spent $8,400,000 on priority preservation at Stillwater since 2020, but Stillwater still accounts for roughly 25% of DOC’s deferred maintenance, and the agency’s deferred‑maintenance share across state agencies totals about $733,000,000. A DOC‑commissioned study reported immediate safety and security needs at Stillwater of about $113,000,000 and estimated replacement on the current site could cost approximately $1,350,000,000.
Khan emphasized the request is to fund studies only and that DOC lacks authority to close Stillwater without explicit legislative approval. The decommissioning study would assess environmental and historical preservation issues, site reuse and redevelopment options; the management study would address operational logistics, staffing impacts and relocation plans. DOC’s capital resources director, Carl Hunt, said the agency consulted Department of Administration staff to scope the study cost estimates and that the governor’s revised recommendation includes $44,000,000 in GO bonds plus $9,000,000 in general fund cash for asset preservation across the DOC system.
Committee members asked about staff relocation and noted Stillwater’s nearby facilities such as Oak Park Heights, Lino Lakes and Shakopee as potential options for relocation. Khan said the management study will examine staffing numbers (DOC estimates about 576 staff at Stillwater), retirements and potential transfers so that affected employees could be accommodated where possible.
No committee action was taken on the DOC request during the April 29 hearing; the agency said it will return with study results to inform legislative decisions.
