While state officials said the move to close the facility addresses longstanding concerns of safety with the prison’s conditions and saves the state more than $40 million annually, union leaders

If the plan is approved by lawmakers, the closure would phase in over four years with final closure set for June 30, 2029.

Minnesota will shut down the state’s aging Stillwater prison by mid-2029, a move that will lead to layoffs among 565 staff members and require the state to relocate nearly 1,200 inmates. The decision,