The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has been hosting legislators this summer for tours of the state’s prisons.

Facility tours provide valuable insights to legislators on everything from infrastructure needs, educational and job training programs, and addressing concerns of staff and the incarcerated population. The tours are also instrumental in helping create DOC budget requests and legislative proposals and advocate and inform legislators on the need.

The tours are also an opportunity to thank legislators and highlight how the historic investments made earlier this year will support the work of the DOC, particularly in the area of funding increases for operations and compensation, overhauling key aspects of information technology infrastructure, funding for education and health services, and investing in staff wellness.

The tours were offered to all legislators, but particular emphasis in efforts to invite law makers is placed on the committees with oversight of the DOC budget and policy and the Capital Investment Committees who consider investments in infrastructure.

“These tours are essential to the Capital Investment Committee members’ understanding of what these projects mean for towns, counties, and agencies,” said Senate Capital Investment Chair Senator Sandy Pappas. “If we want incarcerated people to be ready for civilian life, they need educational opportunities, therapeutic programs, and rehabilitation services, and these services need space to operate. Taking a tour of the Rush City facility and standing in the trailer where facilitators hold group sessions, feeling how cramped and ill-suited the space is — it emphasizes the great need for a new space where incarcerated people can take part in these programs.”

Tours have included:

·        House Capital Investment Committee tour of MCF-Rush City (Sept. 26): The committee toured specifically to learn about infrastructure needs. The tour highlighted significant space issues with providing needed rehabilitative treatment – including health services, behavioral healthcare, and education. The Rush City facility was built to house one half of the individuals who are incarcerated there today.

·        MFC-Lino Lakes (Sept. 21): The tour highlighted the work of and challenges faced by the facility, particularly in providing treatment and supportive services. The group of elected officials also toured a living unit to learn of the needs for investments in upkeep and modernization.

·       MCF-Red Wing juvenile facility (Sept. 18): The tour provided information on the significant differences between the Red Wing facility and other DOC facilities, namely the rehabilitative focus and trauma-informed, age appropriate services. The group toured the school, a residential unit, reentry services building and the Dayton building. 

·       MCF-Faribault (Sept. 14): The tour highlighted the work of staff at the facility, the programming needs of the population – including education expansions and treatment – and discussed challenges with providing healthcare to the high need, aging prison population. 

·        Senate Capital Investment Committee Tour of MCF-Rush City (Sept. 5): Similar to the House Capital Investment Committee tour on Sept. 26, the conversations focused on the significant space issues with providing needed rehabilitative treatment and programming and the strain put on staff under such cramped conditions.

·        MCF-Shakopee (Aug. 24): The tour highlighted staffing challenges at the DOC with recruitment and retention, the outcomes and programming in the Challenge Incarceration Program, the treatment, work, and education programs offered, and programming specific to incarcerated women.

·        MCF-Stillwater (Aug. 14): The tour focused on programming needs, along with low staffing levels and the challenges of recruitment and retention, as well as overall facility maintenance needs.

·        MCF-Togo (Aug. 11): The tour highlighted the significant differences of the Togo facility as a minimum-security prison and informed legislators on the Challenge Incarceration Program.

·        MCF-St. Cloud (July 19): The tour highlighted the age of the facility and significant asset preservation needs of its infrastructure. Also discussed were staffing concerns felt across the DOC as well as the work to provide rehabilitative programming.

·        MCF-Stillwater (July 17): The tour highlighted the significant staffing concerns at the facility and the impact it has on security, safety, and programming, along with infrastructure needs such as the heat levels without air conditioning.

·        MCF-Rush City (July 10): The tour highlighted the significant staffing concerns at the facility, space issues with providing needed rehabilitative treatment – including education, mental healthcare, and other treatment, and the staff’s great work in the correctional services provided.

“I want to thank the Commissioner, staff, and women at the women’s prison in Shakopee for taking the time to provide members of the House Public Safety Committee the opportunity to learn more about the programs offered and the challenges they face,” said House Public Safety Chair Rep. Kelly Moller. She attended the legislative tour of Shakopee on Aug. 24. “It is clear that we need to do more in terms of recruiting and retaining employees which will in turn provide more programming and services for incarcerated women.

Moller continued, “Corrections Officers are asking for help, incarcerated women are asking for help, and it is our duty as Representatives of the state to meet their needs and to ensure safety in our prisons. As we continue to tour more facilities in the coming months, I hope to hear directly from more corrections officers and incarcerated people to learn how we can ensure safety and enhance rehabilitation in all our facilities across the state.”

Legislative tours will continue through the end of the year and into January. Both House and Senate legislative committees as well as party leadership have requested additional tour dates in order to better understand the unique strengths and needs of each facility and prepare for the upcoming legislative session.

The next legislative session begins on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024.