Gov. Larry Rhoden has released drafted legislation that could determine the fate of a new men’s prison in South Dakota.
It reflects the recommendation a governor-appointed task force put forth in early July. The new prison would replace the overcrowded state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.
The bill outlines details to purchase a little over 175-acres of land along Benson Road in Sioux Falls for a prison site. It also outlines the second part of the land purchase agreement, which included exchanging 320-acres of state-owned land in Lincoln County that was previously earmarked for the prison.
It also requires each construction package to go through a competitive bid process.
The total project is capped at $650 million for a 1,500-bed prison, something the Construction Manager at Risk called a “tall order” in July. Details on a specific plan aren’t available yet according to the governor’s website.
The bill also said the prison can’t be used for temporary detention of non-adjudicated noncitizens being deported by the federal government. Gov. Rhoden said this was added to address questions on the topic.
Legislators have the opportunity to amend the bill at a special legislative session on Sept. 23.
The bill requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate to pass. This would be the most expensive state funded project in history.
