Labor leaders at the state’s second-largest prison said they were not consulted on the plan to shut it down. They argued at the Capitol that this will harm public safety and corrections operations throughout Minnesota.

Union leaders say the closure leaves staff members’ futures uncertain and poses safety risks to inmates, staff and the public.

Labor unions representing correctional officers and staff in the Department of Correction are holding a press conference Friday, asking state leaders, both Republican and Democrat, and Gov. Tim Walz to stop the closure of Minnesota Correctional Facility–Stillwater (MCF–Stillwater).