While state officials said the move to close the facility addresses longstanding concerns of safety with the prison’s conditions and saves the state more than $40 million annually, union leaders

The closure of Minnesota's second largest prison will take place over the next four years, which follows a budget agreement being reached between Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature. The Minnesota Department of Corrections said in a brief press statement that it will "consolidate the state’s prison facilities to enhance the DOC’s economic efficiency,

Minnesota will shut down the state’s aging Stillwater prison by mid-2029, a move that will lead to layoffs among 565 staff members and require the state to relocate nearly 1,200 inmates. The decision,