South Dakota Faces $2 Billion Prison Overhaul Amid Rising Inmate Numbers
Sioux Falls, S.D. – South Dakota is grappling with the potential financial burden of up to $2 billion to build new prisons over the next decade due to an anticipated 34% rise in inmate numbers driven by stringent criminal justice laws. This comes just two years after the state implemented tough sentencing regulations, even as national crime rates, including those in neighboring states, have been falling.
A report by Phoenix-based Arrington Watkins Architects indicates that South Dakota will require 3,300 additional beds to accommodate its growing inmate population. To address immediate overcrowding, lawmakers have allocated $600 million to replace the 144-year-old South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, marking one of the largest taxpayer-funded projects in the state’s history.
Despite the escalating costs, few lawmakers are advocating for reforms to reduce the prison population. Current statutes require some violent offenders to serve their entire sentences before parole, significantly inflating incarceration rates. South Dakota’s rate stands at 370 per 100,000 people, starkly higher than the under 250 rates of Minnesota and North Dakota. Around 40% of South Dakota’s inmates return to prison due to technical parole violations.
Critics, such as Sioux Falls attorney Ryan Kolbeck, argue that inadequate rehabilitation services for substance abuse within prisons perpetuate recidivism. Furthermore, Native Americans, who constitute just 10% of the state’s population, represent 35% of the prison population, reflecting alarming disparities that call for systemic change.
While discussions around prison overcrowding have taken place for years, strong resistance exists against revising tough criminal laws. Experts warn that without substantive reforms addressing underlying issues like addiction and mental health, any expansion of prison facilities will merely be a temporary solution.
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