Latest news with #SB146
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report: Tough-on-crime policies could push prison construction costs as high as $2.1 billion
The Project Prison Reset group meets on April 3, 2025, at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota will need a third more prison space than it has now by 2036, and lawmakers' choice to pass a so-called truth in sentencing bill in 2023 is a major reason why. That's among the takeaways from a new report on the state's prison infrastructure that says the state would need to spend between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion on new prisons to deal with an inmate population that's projected to swell in spite of the state's decreasing crime rate. The state needs a 1,700-bed men's prison immediately, the report from Arrington Watkins says. Even then, it says, another 1,500 beds for men will be necessary in a little more than 10 years, when it projects a prison population of more than 5,000 people. South Dakota corrections work group formally backs need for new prison The state signed a $729,000 contract with the Phoenix-based firm as part of 'Project Prison Reset,' a work group formed by gubernatorial fiat in the face of state lawmakers' refusal to back an $850 million, 1,500-bed men's prison in Lincoln County in February. Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, chairman of the work group, said the report supports the group's first official vote last month, which was to conclude that the state does need at least one new prison. Venhuizen was quick to point out that the $2 billion price tag would only apply if the state followed the consultant's guidance to the letter and built two large prisons, but said the population projections lay bare the stakes of South Dakota's current approach to criminal justice. The work group's job is not to address the drivers of prison population growth, he said. But he also said he's glad the report took note of those driving forces. The truth in sentencing bill, SB 146, requires people convicted of violent offenses to serve between 85% and 100% of their sentences, depending on the category of their crime. As a legislator in 2023, Venhuizen voted against SB 146, and its potential to impact prison populations 'was part of the reason why.' 'Those decisions are not free. You have to strike a balance there,' Venhuizen said. 'If you're sending people to prison for longer, there is a cost to that.' The bill's author and prime sponsor, Republican former Sen. Brent Hoffman, has a different take on the legislation's impact on South Dakota's correctional needs. 'The real issue isn't SB 146, which protects the public by requiring violent criminals to serve their sentences,' said Hoffman, a supporter of term limits who served one term and opted against running for a second in 2024. 'The underlying, systemic problems are recidivism rates, wasteful spending, misguided priorities and incompetence, and those problems won't be solved by any consultant's report or politician's rhetoric.' Every correctional facility in South Dakota is beyond its capacity now. The South Dakota State Penitentiary was built in 1881 to house one inmate per cell, but holds twice as many. The proposed 1,500-bed facility in Lincoln County, mired in controversy over cost and necessity and still tied up in litigation over its location, was meant to replace the penitentiary. There are two other housing units on the penitentiary campus in Sioux Falls, however, and each of those faces its own issues with overcrowding. The maximum-security Jameson Annex, for example, is overbooked because it houses not only maximum security inmates, but those in disciplinary segregation and those with serious mental health needs. It's also the sorting zone for every new male inmate in the state system, where inmates stay as they're assessed for longer-term placement. With $50 million spent already, state hires new consultant to restart prison planning The Sioux Falls Minimum Center, meanwhile, holds 245 men in a building designed for 96. Even with a large but temporary drop during the COVID-19 pandemic, new admissions to Department of Corrections custody grew an average of 3.2% a year between 2015 and 2024, the report says. That's in spite of a crime rate in South Dakota that's lower than the national average and on the decline. The state's total population has gone the other direction, increasing by 0.9% a year since 2010. Much of the long-term factors built into the new report were present for its predecessor, a report from Omaha's DLR group that pointed to a 1,500-bed men's facility as one of several necessary projects for the DOC. Senate Bill 146 is a wrinkle that didn't exist for the DLR group, some portions of which were used by Arrington Watkins in its expedited, two-month repeat assessment. SB 146 ropes in fewer than 10% of the state's inmates, the report notes – drug offenses are the most common charge for which South Dakotans are imprisoned – but the inability of those convicted of violent offenses to be released before serving at least 85% of their sentence will have a long-term impact on prison population growth. 'Roughly half' of the 1,246 more inmates the report anticipates South Dakota will have by 2036 is attributable to SB 146. Parole violations are another driver of population growth, the report notes. About 45% of new admissions to the DOC came by way of parole violations in 2024, the report says, and 84% of those violations 'were technical in nature rather than new criminal charges.' Minnehaha County State's Attorney Daniel Haggar cautioned that technical parole violations often involve serious misbehavior, however. Technical violations include drug use, he said, as well as absconding – losing touch with a parole officer altogether. 'When those offenders are violent offenders or sex offenders this is a threat to public safety,' he said in an email to South Dakota Searchlight on Friday. The state has already spent more than $50 million on the Lincoln County site, although a share of that money could be clawed back by selling land or reusing aspects of the now-stalled prison's design. Governor relents, appoints task force to reset prison talks after legislative loss The new report's top recommendation is a 1,700-bed, Level V facility, built within 30 miles of the existing penitentiary to relieve crowding across the entirety of the men's prison system. It also recommends demolishing the 1881 penitentiary. 'Level V' is correctional nomenclature for maximum security. Former penitentiary warden Doug Weber wrote seven letters to lawmakers during the 2025 session urging them to say no to the 1,500-bed facility in Lincoln County, essentially a smaller version of what the new report says is necessary. The focus on the factors driving the state's prison population growth raises important questions, Weber told South Dakota Searchlight on Friday, but he disagrees strongly with its conclusions on how to remedy the situation. 'There's nobody in South Dakota, in my opinion, except a handful of people, maybe in Pierre, that would be comfortable spending $2.1 billion on buildings for the Department of Corrections,' said Weber. 'There are much better ways to spend money.' Weber called a Level V facility unnecessary and too expensive in a state where the number of maximum security inmates hovers around 200. He also bristles at the idea of knocking down the pen. Millions have been spent to maintain it in recent years, including for air conditioning less than five years ago, and Weber said it could easily serve as a minimum security facility by removing the cell doors and putting a single person in each cell. Republican Speaker of the House Jon Hansen, a work group member and candidate for governor in 2026, said 'there's absolutely no way that I will support spending that much money on prisons.' 'If we needed to be building new facilities, we should be looking at the current location in Sioux Falls for a lot less money,' Hansen said. Prison work group peppered with public testimony in first Sioux Falls meeting Madeline Voegeli, one of the neighbors to the Lincoln County site who sued the state over the issue, said in an email to Searchlight that the group has serious doubts about the veracity of the report's population projections. The DLR report, completed in 2022, suggested a 1,300-bed men's prison at a cost of around $608 million. Now, she wrote, 'we're being told to swallow a nearly quadrupled cost of up to $2.1 billion, largely driven by SB 146 and questionable population projections.' Voegeli accused the state of engaging in a 'pattern of inflating proposals to make a billion-dollar plan' – the original Lincoln County proposal – 'appear reasonable.' Venhuizen said arguments suggesting that the Lincoln County plan's supporters tried to tip the scale in the consultant's report are misplaced. 'It's not a strong position to assume that everyone who disagrees with you is being dishonest,' Venhuizen said. 'If you're doing that, you should probably examine the strength of your own arguments.' Rep. Karla Lems, a Canton Republican who's both a work group member and an avowed opponent of the Lincoln County proposal, said Friday that she's skeptical of the conclusions, as well. The work group is meant to deliver its recommendations to a special legislative session in July. The state, she said, needs to spend more time thinking about reducing repeat offenses before it decides what to build. Rep. Brian Mulder, R-Sioux Falls, is also a work group member. He said the state needs to think 'innovatively' on how to reduce prison populations, and that the report is a clear sign of how necessary that is. Mulder was one of the prime sponsors of a bill to change the penalty for first- and second-offense drug ingestion from a felony to a misdemeanor during the 2025 session. Too few prisoners are getting drug treatment, Mulder said, and he feels the state ought to consider partnering with nonprofits to extend treatment's reach both inside the prison and outside, for parolees. He also has questions about parole supervision practices. 'I would ask 'what's going on now with things like remote monitoring,'' Mulder said. 'It's a lot more effective for the state for someone so they can continue to be held accountable, but be held at home.' Mulder supported truth in sentencing and continues to, though. He said parole reforms make more sense. Reforms to truth in sentencing laws ought to be up for consideration, though, according to Zoë Towns, executive director of a bipartisan think tank called Her group pushes for changes to criminal justice and immigration policy. The knock-on effects of incarceration for families and communities are heavy, Towns said, and the returns for public safety diminish significantly when inmates don't have a chance to earn credit for good behavior – even when the people earning them committed violent offenses. 'What we should be asking is 'how long is incapacitation actually helpful?'' Towns said. 'What are the policies that are most likely to help people, when they come home, to contribute to their communities and local economies?' Addressing behavioral health needs and addiction early on are more effective ways to deal with crime than incarceration, she said, but other strategies are even further removed from criminal justice. Towns pointed to research from places like the Brookings Institute that suggest investments in youth education and public health offer long-term returns for public safety. 'It's literally after school and public school programs,' Towns said. 'That has a stronger homicide reduction rate than policing does. I'm not saying there's not a role for policing. I'm saying that actually, factually, in evidence, has a stronger return than sleeping in prison.' The next Project Prison Reset meeting is June 3 in Pierre. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Strengthening Indiana's teaching profession
School choice bill amended but passes; plus financial literacy and graduation waivers addressed. (Getty Images) Indiana's teachers dedicate their lives to shaping the future of our state. They work long hours and go above and beyond for their students, playing an essential role in strengthening our communities. To ensure Indiana remains a place where talented educators want to teach and stay, we must continue to invest in policies that strengthen the teaching profession and support the educators who shape our future workforce. Senate Bill 146, authored by GOP Sen. Linda Rogers, would raise the minimum teacher salary to $45,000; require schools to allocate at least 65% of their state funding to teacher compensation; and provide at least 20 days of paid parental leave for full-time teachers — policies that ISTA has long championed. The average teacher salary in Indiana during the last school year was recorded at $60,557 — up from $58,531 the year prior — according to the 2023-24 state teacher compensation report by the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board (IEERB). Before that, average annual salaries were $56,609 in 2021-2022 and $ 53,991 in 2020-21. The lowest teacher salary reported was $40,000 — the current state-mandated minimum. The highest was $110,000. Teacher pay is ultimately set by local school districts. These priorities, which Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders support, represent a significant step toward making the teaching profession more competitive and sustainable in our state. ISTA supports this legislation and appreciates the leadership of the governor and lawmakers in recognizing the importance of investing in teachers. The lowest teacher salary reported was $40,000 — the current state-mandated minimum. The highest was $110,000. Teacher pay is ultimately set by local school districts. Competitive salaries and benefits are essential to strengthening Indiana's schools. Polling among Indiana educators shows that nearly two-thirds are dissatisfied with current conditions in the profession, and nearly one in four is considering leaving within the next two to three years. One of the top reasons? Low pay and increasing burnout. Retaining experienced educators and attracting new talent is critical to ensuring stability in our schools and improving student learning outcomes. Braun has made it clear that increasing teacher pay is a priority and now is the time for unified action. Raising salaries and providing paid parental leave are policies that will help attract and retain talented educators, ensuring that Indiana students continue to receive the high-quality public education they deserve. Providing at least 20 days of paid parental leave is especially important, as it recognizes that teachers — like workers in other professions — shouldn't have to choose between spending time growing their families and thriving in their careers. SB146 reinforces the critical role that teachers play in student success by directing more resources toward teacher compensation. Research consistently shows that when teachers are well-supported, student achievement improves. Directing more education funding toward educators will strengthen classrooms, increase individualized student support and enhance long-term educational outcomes. ISTA and its members appreciate efforts to improve pay and benefits for Indiana's educators and look forward to continued collaboration with the governor and lawmakers. Investing in teacher pay, ensuring that a greater share of education funding supports educators and expanding paid parental leave will strengthen Indiana's teaching profession. We encourage continued progress on SB146, recognizing its potential to make a meaningful impact on public education. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill to increase starting teacher pay applauded by local educators
ALEXANDRIA — Legislation currently under consideration in the Indiana House of Representatives that would increase minimum salaries for the state's teachers and expand health care services for school corporation employees is enjoying widespread support among those in the profession, including several local educators. Senate Bill 146, authored by state Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, would increase minimum teacher salaries to $45,000 from $40,000. It would also require districts to spend at least 65% of their state tuition support on teacher compensation. The bill unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development and has been referred to the Indiana House for further debate. J.T. Morgan, a fourth-grade teacher at Alexandria Elementary School, said teacher salaries and difficulties in retaining teachers frequently go hand in hand. 'Any time you can increase the minimum salary, I think that is fantastic,' Morgan said. 'Obviously, in the last several years, public education has struggled with retaining teachers and we need to fix that. Salary, of course, is a part of it.' Alexandria has around 100 certified teachers for the elementary and the high school combined, with a current starting salary of $48,700. Brent Baker, the superintendent for Alexandria Community Schools, said increasing the minimum salary for teachers would help decrease some financial stress. 'Teachers need to be able to have a job where they can dedicate their time to their craft and to their classroom and to their students,' Baker said. 'They shouldn't have to worry about working a second job to pay the bills.' Baker said that although Alexandria schools are not currently struggling to find teachers, 'any time we can increase teacher pay, we should look into it.' While lauding the idea of increasing teachers' minimum salary, Morgan wondered what can be done for longer tenured educators. 'We want to bring up the minimum salary, which I think is great,' Morgan said, 'but I think we also have to remember the teachers who have given years of experience. What are we doing for those teachers to retain them and to make them feel the worth from a financial perspective as well?' Morgan, who has worked as a teacher since 2003, also wondered, with inflation and the cost of living rising, how comparable his starting salary would be from 2003 to 2025. Frankton-Lapel Community Schools has 173 certified staff members, with a starting pay of $43,250 for the 2024-25 school year. Sterling Boles, the superintendent at FLCS, said the school corporation is currently fully staffed. He said the current legislation will help administrators create and maintain environments that would both attract new teachers and help the district hold on to well-performing ones. 'With its focus on increasing teacher pay, (SB 146) would have a positive impact on our school corporation by helping us remain competitive in attracting and retaining high-quality educators,' Boles said. 'Increased salaries would make our district more appealing to new teachers entering the profession and could also encourage experienced educators to stay, reducing turnover.' South Madison Community Schools currently employs approximately 265 teachers, with a starting pay of $50,000. Superintendent Mark Hall said that while South Madison is always on the lookout or teachers, administrators did not have trouble filling spots for the current school year. He said the district favors increased funding for teacher salaries, viewing the measure as an investment in the district's students as well. 'I think any time we can increase funding for our teachers, that is important,' Hall said. 'I think the 65%, spending that on teacher compensation, I think that just guarantees that school districts are putting their money where it should be, which is in their teaching staffs.' Morgan said that the emotional side of teaching is what a lot of teachers enjoy the most about the profession. 'When you have been teaching as long as some of our veteran teachers have, you are doing this because of the love you have for your students and for their successes in the classroom as well as out of the classroom,' he said. 'I tell my students all the time, 'I am here because I love and care about you and want you to be well-rounded individuals when you step out of this building.' 'We are trying to prepare them for the real world and even though my students are just fourth graders, we are laying that groundwork for them now.'
