ST. PAUL — State Sen. Torrey Westrom, R–Alexandria, is calling for immediate public hearings on the decision to close the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater and is urging the state to pursue what he says is a common-sense solution: Reopening the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton.

Westrom emphasized this in a recent video showcasing the Appleton prison , noting the facility’s readiness, and calling it an immediate solution to meet Minnesota’s correctional needs.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay hundreds of millions for new prison construction when we already have a big beautiful building in Appleton ready to go,” Westrom said in a news release. “Leasing or purchasing Appleton is the most practical and cost-effective option."

Westrom added that it would restore h

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