By C1 Staff
SHAKOPEE, Minn. — The Minnesota Legislature has finally approved funding for a fence around the perimeter of the state women’s correctional facility in Shakopee.
According to the Shakopee News, the $5.4 million in funding was included in the state bonding bill.
Arguments against the fence included aesthetics, implying that the fencing would cause the jail to look like a jail and reduce property values. The recapturing of escaped inmates was also used as an argument against the fence, saying that it was unneeded if the inmates were always recaptured.
The facility currently houses 605 inmates, 98 of which have been convicted of homicide.
Currently the only security keeping inmates inside the walls are an elaborate security system, prison staff and a small hedge.
“The fence will make the facility much more secure,” said John Schadl, director of communications for the state Department of Corrections. “Not only have there been concerns of people getting off campus, but many of the women at the facility have complex history and relationships. Without a fence, people who may want to be them harm have access to the facility.
“A fence can also help stop smuggling in contraband, where someone can sneak on campus and hide something.”
In the past 20 years, eight inmates have escaped. All have been recaptured. Staff say they have caught another 19 plotting escapes.