Minnesota prison on lockdown With 100 inmates who refused to return to their cells in heat wave

Minnesota prison on lockdown after about 100 inmates refused to return to cells amid heat wave

STILLWATER, Minn. — An emergency lockdown has been imposed on a Minnesota prison as approximately 100 inmates in one housing unit faced dangerously high temperatures and refused to return to their cells on Sunday, described by one former inmate as an act of “self-preservation.”

The current situation is considered “stable,” but the motive behind the inmates’ refusal to return to their cells remains unclear, as stated by a Department of Corrections spokesperson.

Advocates positioned outside the Stillwater prison, some of whom have family members inside, have indicated that inmates are protesting due to the extreme heat, limited access to showers and ice, and inadequate drinking water.

Inmates have experienced intermittent lockdowns since Friday due to staffing shortages, meaning they have been confined to their cells, which reportedly lack air conditioning. The prison is located in Bayport, approximately 25 miles east of Minneapolis, an area that experienced afternoon temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit under a heat advisory.

Marvina Haynes of Minnesota Wrongfully Convicted Judicial Reform, whose brother is incarcerated at Stillwater, reported, “My organization received calls from inmates who are currently inside, starting at 6:30 a.m.” David Boehnke of Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee added that there have been on-and-off lockdowns for the past two months.

The executive director of the union representing Stillwater’s correctional officers, Bart Andersen, issued a statement noting that this incident reflects the chronic understaffing issues within the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Andersen explained that such conditions frustrate inmates due to restrictions on program and recreation time, especially when there aren’t enough security staff to maintain facility safety.

Haynes, Boehnke, and Cathy Stroud Caldwell stated that the inmate action was an impromptu response to unsafe conditions. They lacked the time to prepare and plan, according to Haynes. “It was just a decision not to return to their hot cells without drinking water and the ability to shower.”

The ongoing heatwaves across the country have raised heightened concerns for prison populations, particularly those housed in poorly ventilated or non-air-conditioned facilities.

Two officers at the Stillwater Correctional Facility were said to be in contact with facility staff and safe in a secure control area. No reported injuries exist.

The state Department of Corrections announced the activation of a crisis negotiation team and the deployment of the Special Operations Response Team “out of an abundance of caution.”

According to department records, the facility, located just southeast of Stillwater in Bayport, currently houses about 1,200 inmates and was built in 1914.

A “pizza oven” in the summer, according to Kevin Reese, founder of the criminal justice group Until We Are All Free. He had been incarcerated there during the summers from 2006 through 2009 and emphasized that it is a century-old building without air conditioning or central air, where even the walls “sweat.”