SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Republican Sen. Chris Karr asked a Department of Corrections official Monday morning what the plan was if the prison funding and construction bill did not pass the House or the full legislature this year.
“What’s the contingency plan if that occurs?,” Karr asked during the Monday morning Senate State Affairs committee.
“The prison that was designed by our architects is the prison the Department of Corrections thinks that we need to have,” said Brittni Skipper, the DOC’s finance officer. “We would keep pushing for the prison as designed.”
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The question and answer came during discussion about Senate Bill 124 which establishes an incarceration task force. The bill’s sponsor is Republican Sen. Kevin Jensen who has been vocal in his criticism of the proposed prison’s design, cost and location.
The discussion happened before a vote to transfer $148 million to the incarceration fund was defeated 35-35 in the House Monday afternoon.
Skipper said the the plan for the new prison has been reviewed multiple times by lawmakers and others as has a 2021 study by the DLR Group, Skipper said. She doesn’t believe it’s necessary to again review the DLR study.
“When we see that something is going to die and if it’s important to us we go ‘well what’s our options, how do we work with the folks that are opposing it, and address their concerns and come up with some sort of compromise or change that we can keep moving forward,” Karr said.
He appreciated Jensen’s bill because it is important that if the Legislature does not approve construction of a new men’s prison this session, discussion needs to continue. Karr said what the DOC said Monday was that it had no contingency plan if the prison failed.
Jensen said it is necessary to review the DLR study which he said has multiple options for prison projects. Jensen said a prior task force did not have the best mix of members. His bill would include members from the incarceration pipeline from those working in mental health, to former wardens, to law enforcement and others, Jensen said.
“If we are serious about recidivism and things like that, then we need key stakeholders,” Jensen said of the make-up of a task force.
“We’ve done a study before, we’ve had a summer study. What’s going to change?” committee member Republican Sen. Carl Perry asked.
Jensen said the improved make-up of the task force would change.
Committee member Republican Sen. Randy Deibert said while he was confident Jensen would bring an amendment in the future, he did not support a do pass for SB124 because it listed alternative site for a men’s prison when it should say site. Using alternative assumes an alternative site would be approved, he said.
A task force and a DLR study resulted in the DOC’s plan for a 1,500 bed men’s prison in Lincoln County that would house mostly minimum security inmates. It had a guaranteed maximum price of $825 million set to expire March 31.
