Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell has directed each of the state’s prisons to implement “Stay with Unit” plans to provide living unit separation, and to minimize the potential for COVID-19 spread. “Stay with Unit” ensures incarcerated individuals participate in facility activities, including any programming, yard time, and dining, only with others in their living unit. By providing living unit separation, better social distancing becomes possible and we minimize the potential for widespread outbreaks across entire facilities.
The following additional measures have been taken to protect those within the St. Cloud facility. This list is not necessarily exhaustive of all measures in place.
*** The facility is continuing to restrict inmate movement within the facility to minimize contact with each other and reduce the spread of COVID. ***
For questions about MCF-St. Cloud’s COVID response, contact 320-240-3000.
Masks: Cloth barrier masks have been distributed to incarcerated people at all DOC facilities. Each person has been given instructions for how to care for the mask, how to put it on, and how to take it off safely. A video was developed for instruction on care and wear of the masks for the inmates. The masks are required to be worn in the facility. MCF-St. Cloud staff have been issued N95 masks and eye protection and are to wear them while on duty in the facility. The DOC follows Minnesota Department of Health guidelines for when and how personal protective equipment is used.
Co-Pays: Medical co-pays were reinstated for most situations: including routine medical, dental, eye and physical exams. Any individual reporting respiratory/cold/cough systems will NOT be charged a co-pay at this time. We had previously waived ALL medical co-pays for the duration of the Governor’s declared emergency.
Protecting Staff and their Families: MCF-St. Cloud has implemented a number of measures to protect staff and their families. Similar to staff at health care facilities, DOC staff have been provided guidance for steps to take to protect their families while they continue to come to work every day. Information has been distributed and is on posters at the facility for washing hands when they leave work, designating a door of their home just for them to enter and exit, changing clothes and showering when they get home, and avoiding sharing food, among other steps.
Hand washing stations: MCF-St. Cloud installed new hand washing stations in the facility. Hand sanitizer receptacles have been installed throughout the facility, including main corridors. Inmate restrooms and kitchenettes also have sinks to wash hands. All individuals (staff and inmates) are encouraged to wash their hands frequently throughout the day.
Screening and COVID-19 Testing: All staff and inmates are screened daily. The screening includes body temperature monitoring from an Infrared Thermometer. All staff are provided with protective masks and eye protection and are required to wear them. Weekly mass testing opportunities for staff and inmates have been suspended due to the recent reduction in COVID positive staff and inmates.
Isolation Plans: MCF-St. Cloud has an isolation plan in place. If an inmate tests positive for Covid-19, he will be placed into isolation. Inmates have their personal property, phone call access, showers, canteen, etc. The inmate is assessed by nursing staff each shift. The inmate is released from isolation on a case-by-case basis upon review of health status.
New Intake Medical Isolation: All new intakes (including WRIT returns, release violators, and/or transfers) are quarantined in our Intake Unit for 14 days. One daily intake group is considered a cohort and is separated from other cohort groups based on their different dates of admission. The new admits are given 3 separate COVID tests during their quarantine: day 1, day 7 and day 12. If the tests are negative, they leave the unit on the 15th day to either general population or transfer to another facility. Anyone who tests positive is placed in medical isolation. Individuals placed in isolation are permitted to bring some personal items, such as radios, tablets, fan, etc. When an individual tests positive, the remaining members of his cohort group will restart their 14 days of quarantine due to the possible exposure with the infected person.
Phones: Inmates have access to make phone calls multiple times per week. Phones are cleaned with germicidal spray after each individual use.In-person Visiting: at MCF-St. Cloud is set to resume on March 11. All visits must be scheduled in advance.
Video Visiting: Video visits are once again available.
Showers and Bathrooms: Inmates have access to showers and bathroom facilities. Every effort is being made to ensure St. Cloud inmates have access to showers daily. Each cell has its own toilet and sink. Residents in the two living unit dormitories have adequate showers and toilets in common areas for their individual use.
Recreation, Yard, and Courtyard Time: Outdoor recreation in the Yard is done for the season. Recreation in the Gym was discontinued due to a resurgence in positive cases. Recreation in the living units has been reinstated. Currently, this is limited to one hour, every other day.
Food Services: At present, all meals are being prepared and packaged by inmate workers and delivered to the Living Units for consumption in the cells (bunks in the dorms).
Work: There are incarcerated individuals working in the Living Units as House Crew to assist with cleaning the units and sanitizing phones, showers, and common areas. Incarcerated individuals are also working in the Food Service and Laundry areas as well.
Medication: Medications are being administered via pill window in Health Services.
Mail and Emails: St. Cloud inmates can send and receive mail as they normally would if they have a tablet. Enhanced communication whereby inmates without a tablet are able to send email to those outside the facility has resumed.
Canteen: Items purchased from the inmate store are still being delivered to the living units.
Education: The education program at St. Cloud has moved to a distance-learning model where materials and instruction is provided to inmates who are enrolled in school.
Treatment: St. Cloud is currently conducting treatment programming in the living units that house inmates enrolled in Reshape and RIVERS Programs.
Television: Inmates have access to personal televisions in their cells/bunk areas, as well as access to living unit televisions during their recreation periods.
ITV Hearings: Court appearances are being conducted via Interactive TV. Inmates from different units have their hearings done with sufficient time in between to prevent co-mingling. If an inmate is on Isolation status at the time of a scheduled ITV hearing, the courts will be notified that the hearing needs to be rescheduled.
General Population: All staff and inmates are given protective masks and are required to wear them. The inmate unit workers are given cleaning supplies and protective gloves, masks and eyewear. They regularly clean the units. The inmate workers and mentors in the Intake Unit are given additional protective equipment (such as face shields and gowns). There have been several mass testing opportunities for all inmates. Contact tracing investigation is done for all inmates who had close proximity to inmates who tested positive for the virus. Inmates that had concerning close proximity are placed in a 14-day quarantine in the facility’s quarantine unit.
