State Proposes to Reduce Prison Population By Treating Addicted Felons

By Victoria Wicks
South Dakota’s prison population has grown six-fold since the 1970s. If it continues to grow at its current rate, the state will spend $224 million in the next ten years to deal with the increased demand. In July Governor Dennis Daugaard and Chief Justice David Gilbertson announced the formation of a Criminal Justice Initiative to reverse the trend. In this first in a four-part series of Dakota Digests, SDPB’s Victoria Wicks takes a look at work group recommendations released in November. Central to the plan is treatment and intense supervision for addicts.