2 days ago
Big cuts coming to Minnesota DOC's K-9 program as Stillwater prison closure looms
The Minnesota Department of Corrections is drastically cutting its K-9 program ahead of the looming closure of Stillwater Correctional.
In a statement to WCCO News, a DOC spokesman called the decision "difficult," and confirmed that the number of K-9 officers will drop from 13 down to two, effective Nov. 5.
"By focusing resources on staffing correctional officer posts — positions that provide 24/7 coverage — we are ensuring that safety is maintained at all times, rather than relying on intermittent K-9 availability," a DOC spokesperson wrote. "When the phased closure of Stillwater was announced, the legislature directed, and the agency endeavored, to maintain as many correctional officer positions as possible. Given this goal of maintaining security positions, agency leadership was required to make difficult budget decisions, including alteration of the size, scope, and focus of the agency's K-9 program."
Richard Jennings, a retired corrections officer and former trainer at Stillwater, blasted the move.
"What is one officer's life worth? What is one offender's life worth?" Jennings said. "If we're not coming to stop things there could be offenders stabbed and killed. The situation is quelled really, really fast when we come in with the dogs. It really is."
Stillwater prison is set to close by 2029, as part of a budget agreement struck by the Legislature. The facility houses between 1,100 and 1,200 inmates and employs roughly 560 people, but the operational costs of the 111-year-old building have become "untenable," Gov. Tim Walz said.
According to the DOC, four K-9s currently work at Stillwater, and the costs to taxpayers sometimes went far beyond food and veterinary care.
"While dual purpose K-9s (apprehension and drug detection) can aid facility security efforts, weekly training, along with care and maintenance requirements, impact the K-9 team coverage in the facilities," the DOC spokesperson wrote. "Because the dogs are a state-owned resource, the agency understandably pays for the dog's food and veterinary care. In addition, the agency provides compensation to the K-9 handlers for the daily care and maintenance of their canine partner, and each handler is provided a take-home vehicle, with the agency covering the cost of vehicle maintenance and fuel. Finally, the agency has faced liability exposure from accidental or unintended dog bites, including the recent settlement of more than $350,000. The agency takes these safety risks to staff and incarcerated individuals seriously."
Beginning in July 2027, the department will start vacating the Stillwater facility entirely. The full closure is expected to be complete by June 30, 2029.
