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A new jail has arrived in Winona! As of December 12th, 2023, a new jail has replaced the old one located on 203 W 3rd St. Winona. The motive for the new jail was due to the struggle to keep up with the Department of Corrections (DOC) guidelines. The old jail had originally been assembled in the 70’s and was built from used parts from an old prison, causing it to deteriorate over the years.
The old jail had been convicted of the sunset law–a law that automatically terminates an agency, a law, or government program, that fails to procure legislature approval beyond a fixed period. This sunset law caused the old prison to be a 90-day facility, which is the maximum time an inmate can be in jail.
This created a huge problem, as inmates were constantly coming in and out of jail and being shipped to other counties due to a lack of space. Three different staff classifications work in the jail including sergeants, those in charge of a shift, line staff, which are detention deputies, and transport officers, in charge of transporting inmates.
But many staff were laid off before the new jail had been put in place due to an inability to support them. And, although COVID caused many setbacks for the jail, it allowed Zoom to be used frequently, easing stress on the staff regarding communication.
Now, in the new jail, there is a specific building called the Zoom Room that is specifically set up with a TV hooked up to the internet for zoom where inmates have their first appearance courts and can be put on court for a different county. Kelsie Horst, the Program Coordinator of the Winona jail, talks about her role as a worker.
“I have a dual title here. I deal with all volunteers and programs in the facility, and then I also hold the title training officers who are required for training for all brand-new staff,” Horst said.
The new county jail has 53 cells and 80 beds in it. Mya Von Ruden, a first-year student at Winona State University, with a major in criminal justice, gives her opinion on the new jail.
“This new jail is necessary for our community and critical for our police department here in Winona,” Von Ruden said. “I am looking forward to being able to experience this new jail going forward with my career.”
