Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) today released the following statement on legislation, HF 1200/SF 1241, that would prohibit private prisons in Minnesota:

“The Minnesota House recently passed legislation that would prohibit private prison options. This same bill is also being pushed in the Senate under SF 1241. In Appleton, we have Prairie Correctional Facility, a now empty private prison that once brought jobs to the area. 

“A House Republican amendment was offered that would have allowed the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) to house inmates at the Prairie Correctional Facility. This only makes sense and means that it would be leased by DOC and even staffed by DOC employees, just like any other state prison facility. 

“We should remain open-minded about having it become a well-functioning private prison once again. Reopening the Prairie Correctional Facility would be a helpful solution for Minnesota and bring back hundreds of good jobs to the Swift County area. The Appleton private prison will cost the state less per day on prisoner costs, and it’s the only prison in the state that also pays local property taxes. 

“That is why I think this is a common-sense solution that would help relieve overcrowding at other prisons and avoid having to build more expensive state prisons. It’s maddening and mind-boggling why Minnesota Democrats are so against using this private prison option like our state used to do.”