An assessment of the Prairie Correctional Facility – a 1,600-bed prison located in Appleton that has sat empty since 2010 – was completed and submitted to the legislature this week. The assessment of the facility, which was authorized through legislation carried by Senator Andrew Lang (R-Olivia) last year, comes at a time of statewide prison overcrowding and high unemployment in the Appleton area.
“By 2022, there will be 1,300 more inmates projected than capacity in the Minnesota state prison system. Inmates are currently double- or triple-bunked, and I am concerned that they are not receiving adequate services that will allow them to re-enter society as productive citizens,” said Senator Lang. “The facility is in great shape, and I know this is an investment worth pursuing over renting bed space from counties. It is important that inmates have access to education, substance abuse treatment, and mental health care prior to their return to society – programming that in most cases is not available in temporary housing.”
The assessment included a facility condition assessment, an architectural assessment, and an appraisal of the Prairie Correctional Facility, along with sale and lease options from the facility’s owners. Previous legislation called for either a purchase or lease-to-own agreement between the state and the facility’s owners, with the facility entirely managed and run by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), but the state expressed opposition to the proposal. Officials in Swift County have rallied in support of reopening the facility, however, as the area lost over 350 jobs and saw its unemployment rate spike after the prison’s closing.
“As a state, we will continue to look at all available options for providing a quality corrections system, as well as putting people back to work. Putting this functional facility in Appleton to use – and bringing jobs back to the community – simply makes sense,” Sen. Lang continued. “I remain confident that we will find a way to get this accomplished.”
Sen. Lang is serving his first term representing Senate District 17, which includes communities in Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Renville, and Swift counties in west central Minnesota.