SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) South Dakota is one step closer to building a new men’s state prison. After months of work, the Project Prison Reset task force is recommending a 650-million-dollar, 15-hundred-bed facility on the northeast side of Sioux Falls. Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko calls it major progress. She says the current prison, built in 1881, is outdated and unsafe for both staff and inmates. The new design would be campus-style, with better visibility, safer cell doors, and more privacy for inmates. It would also include dedicated space for addiction treatment and mental health services, something Wasko says is badly needed. The proposal is now heading to the legislature. Even if approved, the new prison is still years away. In the meantime, Wasko says she’s asking for more staff to meet growing needs at the existing facility. For more Government stories from MitchellNow.com, Click Here.
Corrections Secretary Wasko Backs Plan for Safer, More Modern Prison
South Dakota is advancing plans to build a new $650 million men’s state prison in northeast Sioux Falls, following a formal recommendation from the Project Prison Reset Task Force. The proposed 1,500-bed facility would replace the current 1881-era penitentiary, which Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko describes as outdated and unsafe. The modern, campus-style design includes improved visibility, safer infrastructure, and enhanced inmate privacy, along with dedicated areas for addiction treatment and mental health services.
