For years, South Dakota has grappled with the fact that its 144-year-old State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls needs replacement, yet consensus on where and how to build it has remained elusive.
Gov. Larry Rhoden created the Project Prison Reset task force earlier this year to achieve consensus to solve this problem. Governor Rhoden challenged us with a straightforward mission of answering three questions: 1) Determine if we need a new penitentiary; 2) Decide what kind of facility we should build; and 3) Recommend where it should be located.
The task force included legislators, law enforcement, and other stakeholders. Over the course of four public meetings, we toured facilities, studied data, heard more than eight hours of public testimony, and reviewed hundreds of written comments. Our work was conducted openly, and every voice, whether supportive or skeptical, was heard…