Former Minnesota corrections employee says he was fired after exposing punishment scheme

A former Minnesota Department of Corrections employee has filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired after complaining that an enterprise was exploiting inmates for profit rather than preparing them for release from prison.

Nathan Delgado, a workforce development specialist, filed the lawsuit Monday in Ramsey County District Court against the department which oversees MINNCOR, a self-sufficient enterprise where inmates manufacture products to sell. MINNCOR also runs the Bridge program where Delgado helped inmates who were in halfway houses receive up to three months of job and interview training.

His lawsuit alleged he was fired in violation of the state’s Whistleblower Act after raising concerns about inmates being moved back into MINNCOR production instead of receiving job training through the Bridge program. He is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $50,000. Delgado claims he has suffered continued personal and professional distress because of the lost work and job status.

“Delgado’s role was to support and prepare these individuals for a life beyond incarceration,” his attorney Naomi Martin said. “Instead, he found himself battling an institution more interested in exploiting their labor than investing in their future.”

In a written statement, Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said, “We have not had an opportunity to review the lawsuit, and we do not comment on litigation.”

Inmates who work for MINNCOR in production are paid between 50 cents and $3 per hour, the lawsuit states. MINNCOR is self-supporting and not a state enterprise. Last year, MINNCOR reported $42 million in operating revenue.

The Bridge program primarily teaches skills such as interviewing, resume writing and presentation. When not engaged in job-training programs, Bridge participants are required to work in MINNCOR’s production operations.

The lawsuit said Delgado did well, achieving a 98% success rate in helping participants find meaningful employment outside of MINNCOR. He was frequently praised and funding was renewed for his his role.

But Delgado’s lawsuit said from the time he was hired, he was the target of hostility from MINNCOR staff who sought to undermine his authority.

A few months into his tenure, Delgado brought a partner organization to the Bridge program to speak about jobs. During the discussion, MINNCOR’s production supervisor burst into the classroom, asked what was going on and sent three participants to the production floor, the lawsuit said.

At a later meeting to discuss what had happened, the production supervisor’s manager stressed MINNCOR’s need to get Bridge program participants on the production floor instead of in training. The manager said they wanted to take a couple guys early from Bridge training. According to the lawsuit, the production supervisor added, “You could take ten.”

The manager said MINNCOR is a business and “we still need to pay the bills,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit cited multiple other instances when Delgado reported concerning treatment of Bridge participants. In 2023, a supervisor told Delgado that “if you keep advocating for [incarcerated persons] over staff, I’m going to shut down Bridge.”

Delgado, who is Black, also reported instances of suspected sexual assault by a supervisor at the halfway house and said he experienced race-based discrimination, according to the lawsuit.