Listen: What does it mean when Minnesota courts sentence offenders to ‘the workhouse’?

The Curious Minnesota podcast discusses the background of these unique correctional facilities, which are neither jails nor prisons.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 23, 2024 at 2:08PM
Mandeep Kathuria’s classroom is filled with thank-you notes from residents who have earned their GEDs with her help at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, also known as the workhouse. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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It’s not uncommon in Minnesota to see a news story about someone being sentenced to “the workhouse.” But what is a workhouse? It turns out Minnesota is one of the only states still using this term, which describes unique facilities that are neither jails nor prisons.

Reporter Kim Hyatt joined host Eric Roper on the Curious Minnesota podcast to talk about what happens in a workhouse, who is sentenced there and the long history behind these correctional facilities. Hyatt wrote a story about workhouses for Curious Minnesota.

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about the writer

about the writer

Eric Roper

Curious Minnesota Editor

Eric Roper oversees Curious Minnesota, the Star Tribune's community reporting project fueled by great reader questions. He also hosts the Curious Minnesota podcast. 

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