DOC reduces Stillwater prison population

📌 Key Facts

The Minnesota Department of Corrections is piloting "earned living units" at MCF–Stillwater as part of preparations for the facility’s planned 2029 closure.
On a Nov. 20 media tour, DOC officials showcased new inmate programming spaces at Stillwater, including an inmate‑run barbershop called "Street Cuts," a licensed tattoo studio, an art studio, and a greenhouse set up in an empty cell.
Photographs and captions from the tour confirm ongoing substance use disorder (SUD) small‑group therapy and an official mural program inside the prison.
Commissioner Paul Schnell and Warden William Bolin participated in the Nov. 20 media tour.
The pilot programs and publicized updates come as inmates continue to be relocated from Stillwater to other facilities, reducing the prison’s population ahead of its planned closure.

Posts on X highlight concerns about the overall prison system's capacity, noting that closing Stillwater eliminates about 12% of state beds and raises questions about where the displaced 1,200 inmates will be relocated, which is not addressed in mainstream reports.
Social media users discuss historical poor conditions at Stillwater, such as extreme heat without AC and unsanitary water leading to inmate unrest in 2023, providing context for the closure and new programs that mainstream coverage overlooks.
X posts emphasize racial disparities in post-incarceration earnings, pointing out that non-White former inmates often see their lifetime earnings halved while White individuals may see increases, adding demographic insight missing from the story.
Perspectives on X focus on the economic challenges for released inmates, including low expected earnings under $12,000 per year for many and high housing costs for parolees, which contrasts with the prison's new rehabilitative programs but isn't covered in mainstream media.
Users on X express worries about potential early releases of violent offenders due to the closure, linking it to perceptions of being soft on crime and impacts on community safety, a viewpoint not present in the official coverage of population reduction and programming.

Based on 2 sources

Twin Cities by Mary Divine November 21, 2025

New information:

DOC is piloting 'earned living units' at MCF–Stillwater ahead of the facility’s planned 2029 closure.
New inmate programming spaces were shown on a Nov. 20 media tour, including an inmate‑run barbershop ('Street Cuts'), a licensed tattoo studio, an art studio, and a greenhouse set up in an empty cell.
Photos and captions confirm ongoing SUD (Substance Use Disorder) small‑group therapy and an official mural program inside the prison.
Commissioner Paul Schnell and Warden William Bolin participated in the tour as inmates continue to be relocated to other facilities.

Twincities by Mary Murphy September 27, 2025