South Dakota
Online forum brings key voices to prison relocation discussion
MITCHELL — Just one night after an in-person forum at Mitchell Technical Institute, residents and panelists reconvened online Wednesday evening for a virtual continuation of the state’s prison relocation discussions. The format allowed for deeper exploration of operational and planning issues — and brought in voices absent from Tuesday’s event, including Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko and Yankton Thrive CEO Nancy Wenande.
Moderated by former Davison County auditor Susan Kiepke, the online session was structured as a Q and A, with the public submitting questions in advance and through the forum chat. Though the format did not allow for live public comment or rebuttal, it delivered key clarifications and expanded on the state’s vision for a modern correctional facility.
Why Mitchell is in the running: A broader political and planning picture
While Mitchell has become a frontrunner in the discussion, its inclusion represents a shift in strategy from earlier state planning. Originally, the state’s search for a replacement prison was focused within 20 miles of Sioux Falls, aligning with a 2021 study conducted by DLR Group, an architectural and engineering firm that specializes in justice facility design. That study recommended a 160-acre site near Sioux Falls based on infrastructure, staffing, and logistical considerations.
A more recent consultant report continued to prioritize the Sioux Falls area, largely due to workforce access. However, after the legislature failed to approve construction during the last session, Governor Larry Rhoden formed the Prison Reset Task Force to reevaluate options. The task force was tasked with considering all possible locations statewide.
Twelve communities submitted proposals, including Mitchell, Aberdeen, Huron, Grant County and a smaller proposal from Yankton. A consultant narrowed the list to five sites based on multiple factors (though no single factor was decisive), and the committee ultimately eliminated Aberdeen, Huron and Grant County.
Mitchell and Worthing are now the two remaining sites being analyzed for feasibility of housing a new prison with capacities of 800, 1,200, or 1,500 beds. Final site assessments will be informed by architectural and engineering reports expected at the next committee meeting on July 8.
Wenande, though noting Yankton is not a finalist, said her community might still consider hosting a smaller facility and praised Mitchell’s strategic location.
“Mitchell may have an easier ability to recruit workforce because of their proximity to the interstate between Sioux Falls and Mitchell compared to Yankton,” she said.
Legal oversight and zoning clarification
Addressing a common concern voiced at the in-person Mitchell forum, Rep. Jeff Bathke (R-Mitchell), Davison County’s Planning and Zoning Administrator, explained that state-owned property is not subject to local zoning laws. That means a rezoning process will not be required if the site near Mitchell is selected.
Wasko clarifies facility design, staffing and security
Wasko addressed lingering public concerns with detailed information about the proposed correctional facility’s purpose, design and staffing. A primary misconception, she noted, is that the facility would house only maximum-security inmates.
“This will include all custody levels — minimum, restricted minimum, medium, and close custody,” Wasko said.
Most inmates will fall into the medium-security category, with some minimum-custody offenders working on prison grounds. It will not be a work-release facility.
Staffing was another focal point. Wasko reported that uniformed staff vacancy rates have dropped significantly — from 35% to just 6–8% in the last 18 months — a sign, she said, of greater workforce stability.
“We would not open an institution unless we had adequate staffing to open that institution,” she emphasized.
Submitted photo
Wasko also addressed a key community concern: inmate re-entry.
“No one walks out of prison into the host community unmonitored,” she said, explaining that offenders leave in state vehicles, are picked up by family, or are transported to re-entry programs that begin 90 to 180 days before release.
Design features were another major topic, especially regarding rural integration. Wasko described significant security and lighting advancements, including 300- to 600-foot setbacks from fences, perimeter detection systems and LED directional lighting designed to minimize light pollution.
She added that noise would be minimal.
“Very rarely will you ever hear any kind of intercom announcements,” Wasko said.
As for potential displacement of current corrections staff, Wasko reiterated her commitment to protecting jobs.
“I will do everything in my power not to lose employees or lay any employees off,” she said.
Community reassurance from Yankton’s experience
Wenande shared her community’s experience hosting a federal prison camp for over three decades. Located in the heart of Yankton, across from a school and football field, the facility operates with minimal disruption.
“There was public concern in the 1980s, but now it’s part of the community fabric,” she said, emphasizing that no one has ever declined to move to or invest in Yankton due to the prison’s presence.
Why renovation isn’t an option
The aging state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, known as “The Hill,” was built in 1881, before South Dakota achieved statehood. Ryan Brunner, a senior policy advisor and director of legislative relations in the governor’s office, described it as “no longer safe for staff, the community, or inmates.”
Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch
Wasko added that remodeling the current facility is prohibitively expensive and dangerous.
“The costs can be tripled or quadrupled when building inside an existing secure perimeter,” she said.
Operational limitations include outdated architecture, lack of rehabilitation space, and no room for vocational or educational programming. The current prison model — designed in an era of inmate lockdowns and quarry work — is misaligned with today’s focus on treatment and re-entry, Wasko explained.
Expanding the nearby Jameson Annex would also fall short: an additional story would add just 192 beds, and retrofitting its mechanical systems would be costly. Relocating 800 inmates during construction would be logistically difficult and cost $10–20 million in temporary housing alone. With current facilities at 133% capacity, the state lacks space to shuffle inmates for such a project.
Looking ahead: July 8 decision looms
The next phase in the site selection process will occur on July 8, when architects and engineers present detailed site assessments. The Prison Reset Task Force will use that information to make further recommendations.
As Wasko concluded the forum, she offered a final reflection on the prison’s potential role in any host community:
“Prisons can be good neighbors.”
(SOUTH DAKOTA SEARCHLIGHT) – Democrats are running for 46 of South Dakota’s 105 legislative seats — leaving 56% of seats without a Democratic candidate.
That doesn’t bode well for the party ahead of November, said Michael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota.
“It doesn’t put them in a position to actually put forward their ideological policy preferences and have much of a success at getting those enacted,” Card said.
In the state Senate alone, Democrats have failed to field a candidate for 22 seats, which is nearly two-thirds of the chamber. In the House, Democrats have failed to field a candidate for 38 seats, which is 54% of the chamber.
There is only one Democratic legislative primary in the state: a state Senate race in District 26, which includes the Rosebud Reservation.
There are no statewide Democratic primaries, after announced candidates for governor and U.S. House dropped out or failed to gather enough petition signatures to make the ballot, leaving one Democrat in each of those races.
Statewide candidates will have less name recognition than Republican candidates ahead of the general election, since they didn’t have primaries, Card said. In the Legislature, Card said Democrats “are guaranteeing they won’t get a majority.”
In contrast, Republicans have primary races for governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Five legislative districts do not have Republican primaries, but do have Republican candidates. There is a Republican candidate running for every legislative seat, except for one House seat in District 27, which includes the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Card said there are several factors leading to poor candidate turnout among Democrats, including a self-fulfilling cycle of failure.
“A lack of winning makes fewer people willing to take a chance on running for office,” Card said. “Why run if I think I’m going to lose?”
Democrats haven’t held a statewide office since 2015, and they haven’t held a majority of either legislative chamber since 1994.
Joe Zweifel, deputy executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said the organization worked “really, really hard” to convince Democrats to run for office.
“But you can’t force people to run for office,” said Zweifel, of Sioux Falls, who’s running for a legislative seat himself in District 12.
He’s heard the open seats called a “failure.” But he disagrees, choosing to focus on the Democrats who did step forward.
“We’re running quality, good candidates in those races,” Zweifel said.
The South Dakota Democratic Party hopes to build on legislative successes, such as a new law from Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, that commits state funding to cover the family portion of reduced-price school meals.
“That specifically is a return on investment for our donors, and it shows that Democrats are doing good things for the people of South Dakota,” Zweifel said.
Wittman’s success helped inspire Democratic District 13 House of Representatives candidate Ali Rae Horsted, of Sioux Falls, to take a second run at the Legislature. Horsted ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against Sen. Sue Peterson in 2024, garnering 42% of the vote.
Horsted plans to build on that success and the name recognition she already has in the district. She hopes she’ll have “better odds” in this election, since there are two House seats for every district.
Horsted said it would better serve South Dakota if the state had a more balanced Legislature. While the latest Legislature was 92% Republican, 52% of voters in South Dakota are Republican. South Dakota has the lowest percentage of Democrats, 7.6%, in the Legislature nationwide.
“I think it’s important that people have options on the ballot,” Horsted said, “and people are able to vote for candidates that represent their values and their vision for the future of South Dakota.”
Makenzie Huber is a lifelong South Dakotan who regularly reports on the intersection of politics and policy with health, education, social services and Indigenous affairs. Her work with South Dakota Searchlight earned her the title of South Dakota’s Outstanding Young Journalist in 2024, and she was a 2024 finalist for the national Livingston Awards.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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From East River to West River, South Dakota communities share a common goal: creating places where people of all ages can live, work and thrive. AARP’s Domains of Livability provide a framework to help communities do just that. Through the AARP Community Challenge grant program—designed to spark quick, impactful local projects—South Dakota communities are turning big ideas into visible, people-centered improvements.
Read the South Dakota Community Challenge Grant Report, which showcases grant-funded projects across the state designed to build more livable communities.
What Are AARP’s Domains of Livability?
AARP’s approach to livable communities is rooted in eight interconnected domains that together support quality of life at every age:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings – Safe, accessible parks, streets and public buildings
- Transportation – Affordable, accessible options for getting around
- Housing – A range of choices that support independence
- Social Participation – Opportunities to connect, learn and have fun
- Respect and Social Inclusion – Communities that value people of all backgrounds and ages
- Civic Participation and Employment – Meaningful ways to engage and contribute
- Communication and Information – Clear, accessible ways to stay informed
- Community Support and Health Services – Access to services that support well-being
These domains work best when addressed together—something South Dakota communities are embracing.
Turning Vision into Action with Community Challenge Grants
AARP Community Challenge grants fund short-term, “quick-action” projects that can ignite long-term change. Across South Dakota, these grants have helped communities pilot ideas, build momentum and demonstrate what’s possible when residents put people first.
Here’s how local projects are bringing the Domains of Livability to life:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings: Communities have used grants to enhance parks, create pop-up public spaces, add benches and shade and install wayfinding signs. These improvements invite people to linger, gather, and enjoy shared spaces—supporting both physical activity and social connection.
- Transportation: Small, thoughtful transportation projects can make a big difference. Community Challenge grants have supported safer crossings, improved walkability and bikeability around key destinations and the planning or installation of transit amenities like shelters and seating—especially important for older adults and people with mobility challenges.
- Housing and Community Support: Some projects focus on helping residents age in place by improving access to information about home modification resources or by testing neighborhood-level solutions that connect people to services. These efforts strengthen independence and peace of mind.
- Social Participation and Inclusion: Murals, community events and creative placemaking projects funded by AARP grants have sparked community pride and social connection. By involving residents in design and implementation, these projects foster respect, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging across generations.
- Communication, Civic Participation and Opportunity: From hosting community conversations to creating new tools for sharing local information, South Dakota communities are using grants to engage residents in shaping their future. These efforts elevate local voices and encourage ongoing civic participation.
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