Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) today released a video and the following statement on a provision to ban private prisons that is in the conference committee report for the Public Safety and Judiciary budget bill. This provision was originally only in the Public Safety budget passed by the House.

“The Democrats’ decision to ban private prisons in Minnesota is extremely misguided. In Appleton, we have Prairie Correctional Facility, a now empty private prison that once brought many jobs to the area. The people of Appleton are hurting because of such extreme and narrow-minded policies. Now, the only way private prisons will ever open in Minnesota is by changing state statutes or bringing in inmates from other states as they have done in the past.

“By passing this policy, we are passing up the opportunity of having a good solid business in Minnesota that provided hundreds of good paying jobs in western Minnesota. The Appleton private prison would cost the state less per day on prisoner costs, and it’s the only prison in Minnesota that also pays local property taxes, unlike any state-owned facility. The Appleton prison ran a top-notch program that provided more skills and a better education, and ultimately, improved recidivism.

“I don’t understand why Democrats are so against the prison in Appleton, so against common sense. We should remain open-minded about Prairie Correctional Facility becoming a well-functioning private prison once again.”  

Republicans made a motion to reject this provision and send it back to a conference committee. It failed on a party-line vote.