Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko is resigning effective on Oct. 20.
Her resignation could give some lawmakers the confidence they need to approve a 650-million-dollar prison during a special session later this month.
In her letter of resignation, Wasko wrote she left the DOC better than she found it, listing 22 accomplishments. Gov. Larry Rhoden accepted her resignation on Tuesday.
Her resignation comes after a group of 20 legislators submitted a letter saying Gov. Rhoden needed to, “clean up the Department of Corrections.” The lawmakers cited a lack of trust in DOC leadership ahead of the vote to approve a new men’s prison.
However, a spokesperson from the governor’s office said that Secretary Wasko “articulated that this decision had been made prior” to news of the letter from lawmakers.
The letter focused on operational issues and the DOC’s cost estimates for a 1,500-bed men’s prison. The DOC’s total cost estimate of $825 million was $175 million more than the cap a governor-appointed task force put on the project in July. Gov. Rhoden’s office said contractors are “highly confident this budget can be met.” Details on where cuts will be made aren’t available yet.
Rep. Will Mortenson is one of the 20 lawmakers who signed the letter calling for new department leadership. He said he’s hopeful the change can create a way to move forward.
“I think these DOC concerns are the number one barrier to getting this prison done," Mortenson said. "And I’m hopeful that this is the nudge that’s needed to take down that barrier and make sure that we can get this prison built on Sept. 23.”
Mortenson added that “the safety of the public and the people behind the prison walls demand” a more modern facility.
This wasn’t the first time in recent memory lawmakers have called for a change in the Department of Corrections. In June, Gov. Rhoden affirmed his confidence in Wasko, after Rep. Tim Reisch asked for her resignation. Rhoden called it “unfair” to ask for her resignation because of differing opinions in policy.
Gov. Rhoden’s office told SDPB that he "had not talk[ed] to Secretary Wasko about her resignation prior to receiving the letter.”
