Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force | New South Dakota Men's Prison

The South Dakota Legislature and Executive branch agree something needs to change with the state’s approach to prisons and rehabilitation.

Gov. Larry Rhoden finalized the 30 people tasked to fix what many deem a broken rehabilitation system at the state’s Department of Corrections.

While the state Legislature and the Governor’s office have agreed to build a prison, conversations about rehabilitation inside the prison walls are now coming into focus.

A new prison has been formally planned by the state Legislature. Now, lawmakers’ justifications for their votes have been laid out for all voters.

The bill approving the construction of a new South Dakota men’s penitentiary is now officially law.

In a special session, lawmakers moved forward with a plan to construct a new 1,500-bed prison facility in Sioux Falls.

While the governor's plan outlines $154 million in "savings" from the previous Lincoln County site, the state spent $20.8 million that can never be recovered.

Faction politics has turned a prison plan into a battle requiring a special legislative session. As that approaches, the two sides are preparing for the next round.

With formalized plans announced for the embattled state men’s prison project, multiple factions of the state Republican Party have voiced their opinions on the matter.

The governor's office has released the plan for a new men's prison in Sioux Falls as well as a comparison to a Nebraska prison proposal.