ST. PAUL – In an effort to solve Minnesota’s prison problem and bring hundreds of good-paying union jobs back to western Minnesota, State Representative Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg) is chief-authoring legislation that would re-open the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton.
“The Appleton prison proposal was approved by the Minnesota House last year but it fell to the wayside after the Minnesota Senate and Governor Dayton refused to prioritize it,” Miller said.
“The State of Minnesota is out of beds for offenders and we have an asset in Western Minnesota that can meet those needs.”
Miller's bill would allow offenders to be housed in non-publicly owned facilities. It also would require the State of Minnesota to enter into a contract to operate and purchase or lease to own the Prairie Correctional Facility in order to address prison bed capacity shortfalls throughout the state.
Once re-opened, the Appleton prison – which has room for 1,600 inmates - would provide roughly 300 jobs to Swift County residents.
“This year I believe we’re going to have strong support for this bill in both the House and Senate,” Miller said. “It’s an honor to carry this bill and I look forward to working with the Governor’s Office on a common sense solution that utilizes the Prairie Correctional Facility to address Minnesota’s prison space problem.”