Drinking water testing ordered at a Minnesota prison after inmates refused to return to their cells
State officials have ordered additional tests on drinking water at a Minnesota prison to ensure that it's safe for staff and inmates
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.State officials have ordered additional tests on drinking water at a Minnesota prison after concerns about the water's quality and other issues were raised when dozens of inmates refused to return to their cells during a heat wave earlier this month.
The “additional and more comprehensive water testing" has been ordered at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater “to assure staff and incarcerated individuals that the water is safe for drinking,” the Department of Corrections said in a statement released over the weekend.
On Sept. 3, about 100 inmates in one housing unit refused to return to their cells in what one former inmate there called an act of “self-preservation” amid dangerously high temperatures in the region.
Advocates said the inmate action was an impromptu response to unsafe conditions, including what they said was brown-colored drinking water, excessive heat, lack of air conditioning and limited access to showers and ice during on and off lockdowns over the past two months.
The Department of Corrections said at the time that claims “about a lack of clean water in the facility are patently false.”
In the statement released Saturday, the department said it is having bottled water brought in for staff and inmates while the agency awaits the testing results.
The prison is located in Bayport, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Minneapolis, which was under an afternoon heat advisory for temperatures that approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius) on Sept. 3.
Intense heat waves across the country have led to amplified concern for prison populations, especially those in poorly ventilated or air-conditioned facilities.