Stillwater Prison Warden On Leave Has Record of Bad Behavior

The Stillwater prison warden has been placed on leave pending a Department of Corrections investigation.

Prison officials aren’t releasing any details about the investigation or why Hammer was placed on leave. Hammer is still on the department's payroll.

However, memos show that Hammer has a history of poor behavior while working for the department.

The Star Tribune reported that Stillwater prison Warden Steven Hammer was disciplined twice for inappropriate conduct with staff earlier in his career before he was placed on leave last Monday.

Hammer has overseen the state's top prison since March 2015. Previously, Hammer was the warden of the Rush City prison. There, Hammer was disciplined for engaging in a romantic relationship with an employee.

The assistant commissioner at that time, John King, told Hammer in an August 2014 memo that the relationship could "cause staff to question their confidence, trust and respect for the office of the Warden" and Hammer's future decisionmaking.

"This situation has resulted in the considerable discussion about your ability to effectively manage the facility and the staff under your direction."

Another memo reveals an incident that took place more than 13 years ago.

While working at a juvenile facility in Red Wing, Hammer admitted to making flirtatious comments to a female employee by email and phone.

According to the memo, Hammer invited the woman to meet him on his boat because he thought the she "was lonely."

Hammer also sent what the memo calls a "kidding" email about watching the woman on the facility's cameras, a topic he admitted he "knew she was highly sensitive about."

On the day the female employee resigned, Hammer told another supervisor "in a serious tone" that "Well, maybe I am in love with her."

Hammer was suspended for one day, with pay, for the incident.

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