The Minnesota Correctional Facility – Shakopee (MCF-SHK) is a women-only state

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

. Constructed in 1986 and located in Shakopee, Scott County, it is

's only facility for housing female offenders. MCF-SHK is home to 500+ women of all five custody levels. The Facility consists of ten buildings, including six inmate living areas (including a chemical dependency treatment unit, parenting unit and education unit), a

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

unit and a

segregation Segregation may refer to: Separation of people * Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space * School segregation * Housing segregation * Racial segregation, separation of human ...

facility, an industries building, and administration and engineering related buildings. The prison previously had no

perimeter fence Demarcation of a perimeter, when the protection of assets, personnel or buildings is required, is normally affected by the building of a perimeter fence system. The level of protection offered varies according to the threat level to the perimeter ...

or wall, only a hedge surrounding the property until 2016. This was after a bonding bill passed by the legislature of Minnesota in 2014 allowing for the erection of a twelve foot fence to surround the prison. Despite previously having no fence or wall only eight prisoners have been able to escape but all were later caught. MCF-SHK is home to a

chemical dependency Substance dependence, also known as drug dependence, is a biopsychological situation whereby an individual's functionality is dependent on the necessitated re-consumption of a psychoactive substance because of an adaptive state that has develope ...

treatment unit, a program that promotes and teaches good parenting skills, and was formerly home to a work-release style program for women. Cosmetology, office support classes, as well as several college courses are also offered to the women.

Notable Inmates

*Colleen Larson * Lois Riess *Elizabeth Hawes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee Shakopee Women's prisons in Minnesota Buildings and structures in Scott County, Minnesota 1986 establishments in Minnesota Women in Minnesota