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

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.

The facility houses 1,100 inmates and employs roughly 560 people, but the operational costs of the 111-year-old building have become "untenable," Gov. Tim Walz said.