The fate of a constructing a new men’s prison near Sioux Falls faces its biggest vote yet.
The South Dakota House is set to vote on authorizing the project Friday afternoon.
Since 2021, state lawmakers have studied and passed numerous bills to fund construction of a 1,500 bed men’s prison near Sioux Falls. The current one is 144 years old. But now that the state is close to pulling the trigger, many members of the new Republican majority are signaling they want to pump the brakes on the project.
Rep. Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish, said the Rhoden administration must convince House Republicans, which has a lot of new members, the prison project is a good idea
“It’s a two-step process," said Odenbach, who is the House Majority Leader. “It’s, ‘Yes, we need a new prison,’ yes or no. And then, it’s ‘Is this plan the right plan to replace that prison?’ So, you’re having to get a whole crop of people to yes on those propositions and that’s not easy.”
The path to authorize the project is made more difficult for the administration — because it requires a two-thirds majority vote, as opposed to a simple majority.
Department of Corrections officials say a new facility will allow space for rehabilitation, programming and reentry. The current men’s prison is overcapacity.
Gov. Larry Rhoden said the current men’s prison does not suit the needs of modern corrections.
“The facility is gothic. It’s old and it’s decrepit. It was never designed for classrooms or mental health or addiction counselling," Rhoden said on Wednesday. "It was built to incarcerate, not to rehabilitate. A new, modern prison will change that. We will be better able to take care of people and help them reenter society successfully.”
Some lawmakers have heartburn over the $825 million guaranteed maximum price. Construction managers say the price reflects what the state is asking for — a prison to last the state for the next 100 years.
It’s unclear what will happen if House lawmakers reject the bill authorizing the project to move forward. The state has until the end of March to accept the current proposal. Officials say delays could cost the state about $40 million.
