SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The clock is ticking for the task force that will decide the future of a new men’s prison in South Dakota. Currently the group is gathering a list of properties around Sioux Falls that could be home to the new facility.
Project Prison Reset is about three months out from the vote to appropriate funds for the new men’s prison. State representative Greg Jamison is a member of the task force and says one priority is that it’s close to Sioux Falls.”We need still a workforce that can work at the prison. So that proximity to Sioux Falls on the 20 mile range or so kind of gives us some comfort that individuals would work at the prison and still be able to live in town and drive back and forth and it’s not too far,” Jamison said.Right now the group is gathering recommendations for potential locations. The former Citibank campus on the north side of Sioux Falls has put itself up for consideration for the new prison site.”When I first heard about the Citibank complex as kind of an option. It was kind of like, wow, okay well so right inside the city in a commercially zoned area is an interesting approach. Because our mindset has always been way out in the country, away from everybody, a no neighbors kind of attempt,” Jamison said.
State representative Karla Lems is one of the task force members who visited the former Citibank location.
“The key elements that would make this a viable site include proximity to interstates, workforce opportunities, no residential, city infrastructure, and space needed for the footprint required. There is also the added benefit of being close to the Jameson Annex, which will continue to be used. Also, the price could be substantially less than the previous proposal. However, we do not have hard numbers at this time,” Lems said.
Lems also agrees the future prison site should be accessible for its workforce.
“Emergency services and healthcare access is essential as well. We have heard a lot about rehabilitation and re-entry programs. There are areas of the state that have these types of services and this should be an integral part of any search,” Lems said.
Jamison says a handful of other properties will be looked at during the vetting process, in addition to the existing prison location which could be renovated.”The Jameson Annex has a portion of its building that could be added to an additional level. The Department of Corrections owns some land on the other side of the diversion channel. How could that be implemented? What if we tore down the existing old building here and scraped it away and added it here,” Jamison said.
Recommendations to the task force should be submitted by April 24. After that the committee and a consultant will review its options. Some of the qualities listed in a ideal prison site includes at least 100 acres of land, within 20 miles of Sioux Falls and located on or near a paved road.
