Minnesota Department of Corrections Selects New Warden at Stillwater Prison

Michelle Smith has been selected as the new warden of Stillwater prison, taking over for John King who will become the warden at Minnesota Correctional Facility at Lino Lakes. 

King, who has been warden at the Minnesota Correctional Facility -Stillwater since 2008, will move to Lino Lakes on May 11.

King has a vast range of experience within the Department of Corrections. After beginning his career as a correctional officer, he held various accounting and supervisory positions before becoming associate warden of operations and then warden at Stillwater.

During his career, King was part of the staff that opened the Oak Park Heights prison  in 1982 and the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City in 2000.

He will now succeed Eddie Miles who was named warden of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud in March. 

Smith, currently associate warden of operations at Stillwater, started with the Department Of Corrections as a correctional officer at the women's prison in Shakopee.

After seven years at that facility, she transferred to Stillwater as a lieutenant in 1997. Smith went on to serve as a program director and associate warden of administration before being named associate warden of operations in 2010.

Her appointment is also effective on May 11.

“Michelle and John have demonstrated the high standards of leadership and accountability that I expect of Minnesota wardens,” said Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy. “I’m confident they will hit the ground running from day one.”

Lino Lakes prison is a medium-security correctional facility for adult males with a population of 1,300. Stillwater is a high-security facility for adult males with approximately 1,600 offenders.