About 40 men at Oak Park Heights prison refused to return to their cells on Thursday before staff resolved the situation without injuries.
According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), the men refused staff instructions to return to their cells after an escalating dispute between several men. When the group refused to cooperate, they became aggressive, and prison staff then withdrew.
At the same time, facility leaders activated additional resources and developed a plan to resolve the situation, which included other units in Oak Park Heights being placed on lockdown as a precaution.
A crisis negotiation team and other special operations teams were also activated. Then DOC officials said that facility staff and negotiators began communicating with the “leaders” of the resistant group.
What happened next?
After several hours, men in the unit agreed to return to their cells. Operations continued as normal after staff secured the men in their cells, inspected the unit, and finalized the prisoner count. DOC leaders praised Oak Park Heights staff for their response.
“I am proud of the staff and leadership at the Oak Park Heights facility and our highly trained negotiators and tactical team members whose efforts and expertise resulted in a safe resolution to an incident that could have ended far differently,” DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said.
Officials said there were no reported injuries and there was minimal property damage. The incident remains under investigation.
DOC says the inmates involved will be subject to disciplinary action for their actions.
