The city of Box Elder is withdrawing land for sale to put a proposed state prison on.
This came just days after initially throwing the site into consideration. In a statement, the city cited feedback from the community.
The city said that it has “become clear that pursuing a correctional facility in Box Elder is not aligned with the sentiments of our residents or the current workforce realities within the Black Hills region.”
Because the city had submitted the land it has the power to withdraw the application, unlike sites like the ones in Mitchell and Worthing. In those cases, a private landowner is offering the land.
Now, the Project Prison Reset Task Force must decide between private land in Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Worthing and existing DOC locations in Sioux Falls and Springfield.
The task force's next meeting is July 8.
