St. Paul, Minn. — For years, AFSCME members have fought against the private prisons industry that puts profits over public safety. We have a long track record of banning private prisons in states across the country.
AFSCME corrections officers and staff in Minnesota are the latest to declare victory over private prison companies. They pushed hard for more than 15 years to pass state legislation that bans private prisons statewide. And just last year, they finally won that fight.
In 2023, the Minnesota legislature passed, and the governor signed a bill to outlaw private prisons in the state. Under the law, the state Department of Corrections and local sheriffs can house inmates only in facilities that are owned and operated by state or local governments.
Members of AFSCME Council 5 who work in state corrections took the lead in this legislative campaign, empowering themselves, educating their colleagues and engaging lawmakers on how private prisons are the wrong way to go.
Electing pro-AFSCME candidates made all the difference. This legislative victory was possible because Minnesota’s AFSCME members campaigned for and elected pro-union candidates in the 2022 election.
They made a call for action to fellow AFSCME members in corrections: “We did it here and you can do it too.”
Join AFSCME members across the country today.
