Stillwater prison is closing. Here's a look at facility by the numbers.

The Stillwater prison has had a long life, but after 111 years the facility housing men has served its time. The decision to close the prison by mid-2029 was reached as part of a budget deal between the Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz.

History of Stillwater prison

The original prison in Stillwater was established in 1851 before Minnesota became a state. The prison received its first inmates three years later. By the turn of the century, the building was suffering from overcrowding and the Legislature appropriated funds to build a new prison 2 miles to the south, in what is now Bayport, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.

How many cells does the prison have?

Built on a 160-acre site, the new facility dating to 1914 has a dining hall, chapel, hospital, greenhouse, two factory buildings and two warehouses inside a walled complex. The facility has 1,496 jail cells in seven living units inside its main perimeter.

How many inmates are there?

According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections: As of Thursday, 1,172 inmates were being held at the Stillwater prison. The youngest inmate is 19 and the oldest is 84, with the average age of 38. Black prisoners make up the largest percentage of inmates at 54%, followed by whites at 35% and Native Americans at 9%.

The inmate population includes 422 (34%) committed from Hennepin County, 194 (16%) from Ramsey, 56 (5%) from St. Louis and 55 (4%) from Dakota.

Prisoners sent to Stillwater spend an average of 127 months behind bars. That includes those serving life sentences. The top crimes are for homicide, assault, domestic assault, criminal sexual conduct, weapons charges, robbery and drugs.

Where will staff and inmates go?

Inmates housed at Stillwater will be moved to the state's nine other facilities for men across the state.

About 550 staff members work at Stillwater. It was not immediately known where they will go, but "the Department of Corrections is working closely with labor unions to ensure that the staff impact is as minimal as possible," according to a news release.

Some may be transferred to other facilities, but "a reduction in staffing is expected," the statement said.

When will this happen?

The facility will close in phases, with about half of inmates transferred to other prisons over several months. Then between 2027 and 2029, the final prisoners and staff will leave.

What problems does the prison have?

Problems at the prison include poor sightlines, a lack of air conditioning and poor air circulation and other hazards. In 2023, inmates protested over a lack of clean water.

To address the problems and deferred maintenance, the state would need to spend $180 million. The state has spent about $8.4 million on asset preservation over the past four years. The cost to replace or fully modernize the outdated building is estimated at $1.3 billion,

By closing Stillwater, the state will save $40 million a year.

Notable fact

The Stillwater Correctional Facility is home to "The Prison Mirror," believed to be the oldest continuously operated inmate newspaper. It was founded in 1887 and had won national awards for penal journalism.