South Dakota Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko speaks to reporters on July 9, 2025. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)
SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko said Wednesday she’s buoyed by a vote from the state’s prison task force endorsing a $650 million, 1,500-bed men’s prison in Sioux Falls.
Whatever happens with a new prison, she said, the 144-year-old penitentiary it’s meant to replace should “never have another inmate in it.”
Speaking after a penitentiary tour for members of the media, Wasko said she’s hopeful the state can meet its correctional needs for the recommended dollar amount.
Prison task force picks Sioux Falls, caps price at $650 million for 1,500 beds
The $650 million price point is about $75 million less than the state’s prison construction manager and prison design consultant said would be necessary to build 1,500 beds.
Wasko said she’s “optimistic” that the job can be done for less, but acknowledged “we are going to have to make some design changes.”
“We need this facility, and we want this facility, so we’re going to work to get to that $650 million budget,” Wasko said, while adding “we can’t slack” on safety features.
The Project Prison Reset task force made its recommendation Tuesday. Gov. Larry Rhoden created the group in February, after lawmakers failed to endorse a 1,500-bed, $825 million prison in Lincoln County. The task force’s missions were to decide if South Dakota needs a prison or prisons, then to decide how large and where to build.
The group will present its suggestions to the Legislature during a special session. Rhoden opted to push back the initial July date of that session, but has yet to pick a new date.
The state already has $566 million set aside in an incarceration construction fund, including about $50 million earmarked for a women’s prison in Rapid City, which is currently under construction.
Should lawmakers approve a prison on one of two undeveloped industrial sites in northeastern Sioux Falls, Wasko said the state penitentiary could make a great museum, or perhaps a training center for law enforcement tactical teams. She called herself “an architecture geek of prisons” who wouldn’t want to see the building demolished. Parts of the complex are made of Sioux quartzite, similar to other historic buildings in downtown Sioux Falls.
“I just like seeing these big, beautiful prisons that were built back then,” she said. “I just don’t like seeing people housed in them.”
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