Inmates at Saginaw Corrections Center Process Meat

Proposed Pilot Program Would Give Inmates Butcher's License

Need some steaks for the grill? Get a fresh cut from a Minnesota correctional facility.

Inmates at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center in Saginaw are already processing and selling meat.

A state senator wants to turn the institution’s work into a pilot program that gives inmates a butcher’s license.

Sen. David Tomassoni introduced a bill Monday.

A similar bill was introduced in the House.

The measure could help address a shortage of butchers while giving inmates a path to reintegrate into society.

The proposal comes as demand for locally produced beef is surging, but the ranks of butchers are dwindling.

The facility mostly houses low-level offenders imprisoned for probation violations or minor drug offenses.

Tomassoni calls the proposal “a little tool” to give inmates a shot at a new career.