St. Paul, Minnesota — Legislation authored by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and state Senator Ron Latz (DFL - St. Louis Park) that would ban private prisons in Minnesota was heard the House Corrections Division this morning. HF 1237 was held over for inclusion in a future Corrections bill. SF 1678 is the Senate companion.
“Criminal justice is a core responsibility of government,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “Minnesotans deserve strong public safety and private prison companies fail to deliver. House DFLers are working to make sure Minnesotans’ rights are protected ahead of corporate profits.”
If enacted, the bill would prohibit the Department of Corrections and county sheriffs from housing inmates in facilities that are not owned and operated by the state, a local unit of government, or a group of local units of government.
“Considering the Trump administration’s decision to reverse the Justice Department’s plan to end the use of private prisons, time is of the essence to act here in Minnesota on the use of private prisons,” said Senator Ron Latz. “It’s been proven that private prisons do not focus on correctional officer and inmate well-being and safety. Rather, they focus on protecting their own bottom lines. Corporate-run private prisons put our correctional officers and inmates at a substantially greater security and safety risk considering they cut corners when and where they can, hire, train, and pay employees less, and thus, create an environment unfit for all of those involved. Simply stated, private prisons do not compare to the levels of safety and monetary effectiveness of government-run prisons, especially at a time where those government-run facilities are already facing such an operational deficit.”
CoreCivic (the rebranded name for CCA, the Corrections Corporation of America) is the largest private prison group in America and owner of the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, MN.
Investigations of their prisons have found terrible conditions, including prisons plagued with violence — their Idaho Correctional Center was so violent it was deemed the “Gladiator School,” and the facility relinquished control of the facility to gangs to save money on employee wages — high levels of sexual assault including assault by facility officials, and inmates left without medical care.
Ohio state audits found a variety of issues with the Lake Erie Correctional Institution run by CoreCivic: inadequate staffing, delays in medical treatment, and unacceptable living conditions, including inmates lacking access to running water and toilets. Medical care and appointments were often severely delayed, and staff wasn’t following the proper procedures for chronically ill inmates, including those with diabetes and AIDS.
“Private prisons put staff, inmates, and communities at risk,” said Tim Henderson, Associate Director with AFSCME Council 5. “They’re more expensive in the long term. But, most importantly, companies who profit from prisons don’t share Minnesota values. Private prisons must be banned and never allowed to operate in Minnesota again.”