DOC outlines phased closure of MCF Stillwater; senators press on transparency, staffing and capacity

St. Paul — The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) told the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Sept. 25 that it has implemented phase 1 of the legislature-directed phase closure of the Minnesota Correctional Facility–Stillwater and is working to meet a sequence of budget and operational targets through full closure expected by June 30, 2029.

The DOC said the closure is driven by a directive in 2025 legislation and accompanying budget targets. Commissioner Paul Schnell, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, told the committee that the DOC submitted a strategic closure plan on July 31 and that the plan is intended to “minimize layoffs, maximize staff opportunities for transfer, communicate and engage with stakeholders, reduce disruption to incarcerated individuals, and ensure critical services like education, treatment, family visits, and case planning continues as smoothly as possible.”

Why it matters: The closure affects staffing, inmate placement across the state and near-term corrections budgeting. Senators on the committee pressed the DOC about how the closure was added to negotiations in the Legislature, how the agency is meeting short-term housing needs while renovations occur at other prisons, and whether the state has planned long-term capacity to absorb Stillwater’s population.

Key facts and timeline

- Legislative directive and plan: Committee testimony said 2025 legislative leaders agreed to a phased closure of MCF–Stillwater; the DOC submitted the required strategic closure plan on July 31, 2025. Full closure is expected by June 30, 2029.

- Budget targets and costs: The DOC said it must cut Stillwater’s operating budget by $20 million in fiscal year 2026 and absorb about $10 million in one-time closure-related costs (layoff-related payouts, certain security and transition expenses), for a combined near-term savings target of $30 million. Annual savings targets rise in later fiscal years, reaching about $48 million by fiscal year 2029, according to the DOC presentation.

- Staffing: At the end of the 2025 legislative session, DOC said Stillwater employed 567 staff. As part of phase 1 the department expected that number to fall to about 231 by Oct. 1. The agency reported having issued 32 layoff notices tied to the closure but said the number remains fluid as staff move into vacancies elsewhere and bumping…