Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has urged legislators to pay for upgrades and staffing increases after staff injuries at psychiatric hospital, according to an article on the Star Tribune website.
An influx of violent patients sent to Security Hospital in St. Peter and the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center from county jails has triggered a string of workplace assaults and worker compensation claims since 2013.
Dayton proposed spending $70 million of a public construction package to complete ongoing renovations at the Security Hospital, with another $2.3 million going for security and safety upgrades at Anoka-Metro.
The situation at Anoka-Metro is so dire that the federal government has warned the facility may lose $3.5 million in annual funding due to the workplace conditions.