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Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Dakota state prison project draws strong views, harsh criticism
South Dakota's four-year process to address the state's correctional needs evolved into a plan to build a new men's prison on 160 acres of farmland in Lincoln County between Harrisburg and Canton, with a price tag of $825 million. That's when the drama really began. Landowners near the Lincoln County site railed against the Department of Corrections for a lack of transparency during the search process. Some lawmakers questioned the project's rising cost compared to comparable facilities in other states, urging more study for such a significant investment. Supporters of the plan, including Gov. Larry Rhoden and his predecessor, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, insisted that the nearly 150-year-old South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls needs to be replaced, and waiting longer will just make the project more costly. It's a volatile issue, as might be expected for the most expensive publicly funded project in state history. Opinions on when, where and how to build a new prison depend on whom you ask. To help sort it all out, News Watch sought different perspectives of some of the key people involved and let their views and experiences. Kellie Wasko knew what she was getting into when Noem appointed her as South Dakota Secretary of Corrections in February 2022. Her predecessor, Mike Leidhol, had retired in August 2020 after being placed on administrative leave as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and nepotism at the state penitentiary. The Department of Corrections, which operates eight state facilities with about 3,800 inmates, was short on staffing and credibility. It was also running out of prison space, according to a consultant hired to prepare a statewide facility plan. That report from Omaha, Nebraska-based DLR Group was released publicly about a month before Wasko took office, providing a road map to what became a priority for the Noem administration to address the state's correctional capacity needs. Wasko, who began her career as a correctional nurse in Idaho and served as deputy executive director of corrections in Colorado, serves as the point person for the executive branch mission – now under Rhoden – to bring the $825 million prison project to fruition. In a one-on-one interview with News Watch at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre on Feb. 6, Wasko acknowledged that her role in the process is a "heavy lift." 'It's an emotional subject,' said Wasko, 53, sitting in the House of Representatives gallery after testifying at a committee hearing. 'Building a penitentiary of this magnitude is something that South Dakota has not done in any of our lifetimes. We're building something that's meant to last another hundred years.' Staffing issues and clashes with prison industry employers have marred Wasko's tenure at DOC. Critics such as Doug Weber, the former warden of the state penitentiary appointed by Gov. Bill Janklow in 1996, have questioned her grasp of the state's correctional landscape. But Wasko's background in correctional health services and focus on reducing recidivism has steeled her resolve in seeking change. She noted that the modern efficiencies of a 1,500-bed medium-to-maximum security complex would provide increased safety for staff but also expanded space for classrooms and counseling for inmates. 'It's about building an appropriate facility that eases overcrowding, but it's also about putting that focus on rehabilitation while they're incarcerated,' said Wasko, who previously served as CEO of Denver-based Correctional Health Partners, a for-profit company that provides health care to prison facilities. She pointed to South Dakota's rising incarceration rate and lack of commitment to justice reforms meant to help non-violent offenders receive alcohol and drug counseling and parole rather than prison time. "There's been some give and take," said Wasko, whose department is now using prison capacity models that fit the national standard of the American Correctional Association rather than the previously cited operational capacity of DOC. Critics such as NOPE claim her department has had blinders on since targeting the Lincoln County site, ignoring concerns about the remote location and ballooning costs. Wasko spoke at a meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 7, citing the authority granted her by House Bill 1017 in 2023 to purchase land and Senate Bill 49 in 2024 to begin site preparation and utility upgrades. Weber's career in the South Dakota correctional industry spanned 32 years, including stints as chief warden and director of adult prison operations. There are few people as knowledgeable about the state penitentiary as Weber, who retired in 2013. He thinks the aging Sioux Falls facility still has some life in it. 'My biggest concern is that they're replacing the wrong prison,' said Weber, 70, who has been publicly critical of the Lincoln County prison project. He told News Watch that the facility he's concerned about is Mike Durfee State Prison on the former University of South Dakota-Springfield campus, 30 miles west of Yankton. That medium-custody prison currently houses 1,200 inmates, compared to 754 at the state penitentiary. The buildings being utilized for housing inmates in Springfield were built as college dormitories and "are not conducive to a prison," according to Weber. 'It's stick-built like our houses, made out of lumber and nails and shingles,' he said of the Springfield prison complex. 'So it's very susceptible to all kinds of things, including natural disasters or deliberate inmate actions. I understand that the state penitentiary is old, but it will never be blown down by a natural disaster. It will never burn down.' DOC officials have said that building a new prison in Lincoln County will help manage the number of inmates in Springfield, where violence flared over two days in July, with several injuries reported before order was restored. Weber sees the design of Mike Durfee as a problem, not just overcrowding. "There's no way to secure inmates in those dormitories," he said. "All the staff could do (during the violence last summer) was pull back to a safe area and allow the inmates to do what they were going to do and reinforce the perimeter to make sure there were no escapes." Weber has called for a "pause" in the Lincoln County prison project to allow for more study on which facilities should stay or go. One of his ideas is to replace Mike Durfee with a new prison on state land in the Yankton area, relying on the Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls to provide maximum-security beds. Asked why he waited until recently to publicly oppose DOC plans, Weber said that he realized the urgency of the 2025 legislative session as a proving ground for the project. 'It became really obvious that this was it,' he said. 'If there was any hope at all of pausing this and doing something much wiser, the time is now.' This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact Stu Whitney at This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Why is the SD state prison price tag $825M? Critics want answers
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SD House panel lukewarm on bill to finalize new men's prison funding
South Dakota Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko, right, and Finance Director Brittni Skipper answer questions from lawmakers about a proposed men's prison on Feb. 12, 2025, in Pierre. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) PIERRE — A panel of lawmakers dealt a symbolic blow to the push for a new men's prison Wednesday morning, signaling a possible rough road for what's expected to be the most expensive taxpayer-funded building project in South Dakota history. The House State Affairs Committee didn't say no after a hearing at the state Capitol, but it didn't say yes, either. Gov. Larry Rhoden's office and the state Department of Corrections (DOC) wanted the committee to send a bill permitting them to spend $763 million of construction funding to the state House's budget-setting panel with a 'do pass' recommendation. Last year, lawmakers gave the DOC authority to spend $62 million to prepare the site. The guaranteed maximum price for the facility is $825 million. Lawmakers dumped most of the money for the prison into an interest-bearing fund last year, before the DOC's November announcement of the final price tag. Instead of blessing House Bill 1025 – the bill to top off the prison fund and unlock it for use – committee members voted 12-1 to send it to the House Appropriations Committee with no recommendation at all. Men's prison price comes in at $825 million, sparking questions from lawmakers, public Several members said they want that budget panel to dig into cost to run the facility, and to build out the roadways necessary to transform the corn field selected as its site into a complex for 1,500 inmates and hundreds of staff. Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko said the prison would help the state manage its correctional needs for 100 years. Rep. Karla Lems, R-Canton, said that language underscores the importance of caution. 'For a hundred-year project, we had really better know what we're doing before we rubber-stamp this,' Lems said. Her constituency includes a host of the project's detractors. The selected site is about 14 miles south of Sioux Falls, between Harrisburg and Canton. Many of its Lincoln County neighbors banded together in a lawsuit, hoping to force the state to request a zoning permit from county officials before building on the 360 acres of farm ground. The state was the victor in that case at the circuit court level; the opponents are appealing to the state Supreme Court. The opposition testimony from those neighbors pointed out that the $825 million 'guaranteed maximum price' does not include change orders, post-construction operational costs, or the cost to pave the gravel roads surrounding the property. That's true, according to Wasko and Ryan Brunner, a senior adviser with Gov. Rhoden's office. But they also said estimates for those numbers are either done or in the works. The state has a contingency fund of $24 million for change orders. Change orders that add work could conceivably come, Wasko conceded, but the hope with what she described as a well-conceived site plan is that 'we get it right the first time.' The annual cost to run the 1,500-bed facility would be $21.6 million more each year than it takes to fund the 144-year-old, 800-bed state penitentiary right now, she said. The new prison would replace the Sioux Falls penitentiary, and the fate of that older facility has not been determined. Brunner pointed to an ongoing study by the state Department of Transportation that aims to evaluate traffic flows and options for road construction. The state has yet to produce a cost estimate for the three options outlined on its traffic study website. Bill to change name of Department of Corrections advances He said the department expects to put money aside for the work in 2027, and that it would involve 'state and federal highway funds.' He also urged the committee to think about another number: $40 million. That, he said, is the upper limit of the higher price the state would pay by way of inflation if it waits another year to move forward. Project opponents suggested alternatives: Using the DOC's 68-acre West Farm site near Sioux Falls, expanding its existing Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls or purchasing the shuttered former Citibank building just north of the penitentiary to meet the need for prison beds. There are bills circulating in Pierre meant to stop the DOC from spending any more money on the men's prison, and to force a reevaluation of the project site. Wasko addressed some of the ideas for alternative sites, including a reminder that there are juvenile detainees at the West Farm facility the DOC doesn't have another place for at the moment. There were 28 juveniles at West Farm as of Wednesday, DOC spokesman Michael Winder told South Dakota Searchlight after the hearing. The farm has a 68-bed capacity across two separate programs, known as Falls Academy and Brighter Transition. Brunner urged lawmakers to think about another figure, specifically a dollar amount, when considering alternatives. The state's already spent money on the site in Lincoln County. 'You start moving those around and redesigning, then you're no longer utilizing the $62 million we're already spending on the current site,' Brunner said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Three prison staff members described the current penitentiary as outdated and dangerous. One spoke of the 'deafening' sound drummed up when hundreds of inmates are released for meals because of the building's multi-tiered, linear layout. On the higher tiers, if somebody has to make a call for help from the lower tiers, 'how's anybody going to hear you down there?' said Nick Rodriguez, a 10-year correctional officer. 'Yes, we have radios, but there are times we've had communications issues with those,' he said. Shortly after the House State Affairs vote, Gov. Rhoden's office sent a press release pointing out that the state's law enforcement organizations support the prison project. The statement also addressed security. 'The construction of a new prison is one way that we can improve public safety,' the governor wrote. 'The condition of our current facility is unacceptable.' The new prison would have cell blocks arranged in a circular fashion to allow for easier monitoring of offenders and more orderly movement from one place to the other. 'Clearly we need a new prison,' said Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Greg Jamison, who tried unsuccessfully to convince the committee to recommend passage of HB 1025. 'The location and the money are the issue. But it's been well thought out, and it's been well planned.' But Rep. Marty Overweg, R-New Holland, said it makes more sense to let House appropriators dig into the figures. There's been plenty of talk about the need for a prison in recent years, he said, but 'what we haven't talked a lot about is how we're going to pay to run it,' Overweg said. His move to send it along to the budget panel with a neutral vote was opposed only by Rep. Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Behind the walls of the SD State Penitentiary: Part II
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Among the stops on a tour Wednesday of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls was a group shower, a location which the state Department of Corrections highlights as problematic. 'The crumbling of the concrete, the rusting of all of the metal,' state Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko said Wednesday. 'The duct work is falling apart and eroding.' But the infrastructure of the shower isn't the only possible concern. 'There's issues for having staff,' Wasko said. 'There's one way in and one way out, if you have 40 offenders underneath the shower heads and 40 offenders on deck, and you have two staff down there with one stairwell to get out.' Wasko says this kind of shower is a relic of the past. 'You won't see those types of showers being reconstructed in modern facilities today,' Wasko said. KELOLAND News had the exclusive opportunity Wednesday to go inside the penitentiary and capture video in just a handful of spots selected by the state DOC. The video, along with what KELOLAND's Dan Santella and Kevin Kjergaard saw when the camera had to be put away, is evidence of the prison's aging condition. 'Every human being in here, the safety is our utmost responsibility,' said Amber Pirraglia, who serves as director of prisons with the DOC and interim warden at the penitentiary. 'So, being able to have the right resources for our staff to be successful, to help coach, guide and mentor inmates to be successful is what we need, and the right physical plant is an absolute necessity in that.' Wasko says the penitentiary was built for 400 inmates but had 784 Wednesday. Pirraglia says this overcrowding has ripple effects. 'It impacts movement,' she said Wednesday. 'It impacts how many people are going through a chow hall. It impacts how many people are in the classrooms and the programming. When you don't have the space to provide enough classes, some people don't get it.' Any prison will best serve the communities surrounding it if its inmates can be rehabilitated and eventually have a chance to positively contribute to society beyond its walls. But Wasko says the South Dakota State Penitentiary falls short in helping its inmates look to the future. 'There's no treatment space,' Wasko said. 'There's some classroom space that's across the yard, but that's reserved for education, GED. But when you don't have the ability to treat in environments, like therapeutic communities, whether it's for substance use disorders or cognitive behavioral therapies, we create an environment that's dark. It's small. It's enclosed. It doesn't promote pro-socialization.' Lawmakers in Pierre are considering more than one bill which deals with corrections while they're in Pierre during the ongoing legislative session. House Bill 1025 would authorize the construction of a new prison in Lincoln County. Another, Senate Bill 124, would set up a task force on incarceration to evaluate prisons, both current and new facilities. Senate Bill 204 seeks to ban the spending of certain money for corrections until that task force on incarceration makes a final recommendation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Behind the walls of the SD State Penitentiary: Part I
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — KELOLAND News hadn't had the chance to bring a camera behind the walls of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in recent years… until Wednesday. In recent public comments, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has made clear his concerns about the aging facility. KELOLAND's Bob Mercer and Dan Santella interviewed Rhoden on Jan. 29, and at the conclusion of the interview, they requested permission to bring a camera inside the prison. This request was granted. Court papers reveal more details in stabbing death of suspect's ex girlfriend The penitentiary, which opened up in 1881 before South Dakota was a state, was built to house 400 inmates. But Wednesday morning's count was nearly double that: 784. Most inmates are double-bunked, and there have been several instances of triple-bunking in recent history. The numbers and that lack of space would bring considerable concern in any facility, no matter the age or condition. But this penitentiary has seen better days. 'The walls are crumbling,' South Dakota Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko said Wednesday. 'The foundation is displaced. We don't have adequate cell space for our offenders. We don't have adequate showers for our offenders, and there's absolutely no treatment space without them having to travel across an outdoors area.' Wasko and state director of corrections Amber Pirraglia, who currently serves as interim warden at the penitentiary, both accompanied KELOLAND News on Wednesday's exclusive tour. A hallway where inmates are transported had a prominent place on the tour, and with Wasko playing the role of an inmate while Pirraglia and DOC Maj. Cody Hanson acted as officers accompanying the 'offender,' the challenges posed by the corridor are clear. 'So, we would come this way,' Hanson said as he, Wasko and Pirraglia showcased the obstacle. 'The inmate would have to step over first, and then as she's stepping over, one of us would have to step over just so we keep continuous contact, and we would wait, and then we would go on our way.' A visitor might notice that this piping isn't exactly in the best condition. There's a reason for that. 'They're dented because so many times we've used restraints over here, and just the usage over time, they get dented from the restraints, for how many inmates would go back and forth,' Hanson said. Back when the facility opened, the country's Civil War's end was recent history. Wasko says attitudes have changed since then. 'We don't have the type of inmates in 2025 that we had in 1881,' she said. 'The people in 1881 were repenting their crimes and their sins. Today, we have a much more brazen type of offender, and so our staff are walking by and often being fluid-assaulted or having objects from the cell thrown at them and hit them.' Per the South Dakota Department of Corrections, to be 'fluid-assaulted' might include spit or urine launched at staff. Wasko and Pirraglia sing the praises of the people who work here in spite of its notable challenges. 'I can't express how proud I am of the staff that work here,' Pirraglia said. 'The staff are what keeps everything going, day in and day out.' 'I have some of the most professional staff in the business,' Wasko said. 'I'm very proud of the staff in this facility. They do a very good job with what we've given them. But I think that it falls on our shoulders that we have to do better and give them a better environment to do their job safely.' Part II of this coverage is set to air Thursday night on KELOLAND News. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
