STILLWATER, Minn — The Minnesota Correctional Facility at Stillwater remains locked down several days after protests and a march outside its walls.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections confirmed Wednesday afternoon that "the entire facility remains on lockdown," according to a spokesperson.
On Sunday, a group of about 100 incarcerated men refused to go back into their cells. They were protesting several issues including the heat over the weekend and decreased time out of their cells linked to a staffing shortage.
It's unclear when the lockdown will be lifted.
Earlier this week, Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said incidents like the one Sunday have happened before, but are now drawing attention to the department's ongoing staffing problems.
On Monday, about three dozen activists marched outside the prison to protest conditions at the correctional facility, and another protest took place outside the governor's temporary residence.
Mary Vollmar II has a father who has been imprisoned in Stillwater for years. Billie Daymond Bailey is serving a life sentence for homicide.
"He's been saying the same thing for years," she said. "You can't even breathe in those walls, you can't escape it."
Ever since Sunday's protest, she says she has been trying to reach him but he hasn't called.
"The last time I heard from him was a couple of weeks ago and he was complaining about the heat," said Vollmar II.
She was among the families protesting conditions at the governor's home Tuesday night.
Advocates have said there's a lack of access to clean drinking water. The Department of Corrections said the water has been tested and there have never been any issues found.
"I just can't even imagine how they're expecting people to live there," said Mary Vollmar, Vollmar II's mom and Bailey's wife.
"Nobody cares about them," she said. "I'm angry, angry and I feel helpless, like nobody is listening."
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