Who is my neighbor?

Star Tribune Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:35:58 GMT
Neighbors find prison fence offensive

The state insists that a fence it seeks to build around the women's prison in Shakopee will look more like a gated community than a fortress. Bracing for another fight with neighbors, Minnesota's corrections department says the fence it wants to build around the state women's prison in Shakopee would resemble the ones surrounding Harvard University. The department is bracing for a fight as it tries once again in the upcoming session to get legislators to set money aside for a project that many of those living near the prison oppose. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in his $1 billion bonding request presented last week, confirmed what many in Shakopee strongly suspected but officials until then had declined to confirm -- that he will in fact seek about half a million dollars to launch the project. The fact that anyone would not want to wall in a prison has drawn national mirth in years past -- from the Daily Show and others.

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