South Dakota Weighs Options for New Men’s Prison Amid Rising Inmate Population
The South Dakota State Penitentiary was built in 1881, initially as a territorial prison before South Dakota became a state in 1889. As the state evaluates its future correctional needs, the recommendation from the new master plan is to decommission the penitentiary. | Photo Credit: South Dakota Department of Corrections
By Kat Balster
PIERRE, S.D.—As South Dakota braces for a projected 34% increase in its male prison population by 2036, state officials are deliberating the next steps for a major corrections overhaul that could cost more than $2 billion over the next decade. On June 3, Arrington Watkins Architects (AW) presented its updated master plan to the South Dakota Prison Project Reset task force at the state capitol, offering an assessment of existing conditions and options for expansion.
The consulting team was charged with refreshing the state’s 2021 correctional master plan. In addition to AW, the team included CGL Companies, EAPC (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), KLJ (civil) and Rider Levett Bucknall (cost review). The initial plan called for 2,866 new beds and a proposed replacement of the aging South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP). The refresh also incorporates updated population forecasts and feasibility reports on potential sites for the new facility.
In this latest analysis, the South Dakota prison population is expected to grow by 2.7% annually from 2025 to 2036. This is due partially to normal demographic trends, but also due to Senate Bill 146, which was passed in 2023 and eliminates parole for violent offenders. By 2036, the male inmate population is projected to reach 4,485, an increase of more than 1,100 from today’s levels.
As of March 2025, the study shows that prisons in South Dakota are already operating at 133% capacity, with 3,264 male inmates housed in facilities that are only built to hold 2,453.
“You are only about 288 beds short of your 2041 numbers by the end of this year,” said AW Principal Mike Quinn during the presentation of findings to Project Prison Reset. “That isn’t a good basis for capacity planning.”
At 144 years old, SDSP was identified as a problematic building. The team cited safety, accessibility and structural concerns in the report, providing a clear recommendation: SDSP should be decommissioned and demolished by 2030.
“Despite renovations [it] doesn’t meet modern codes or best practices,” said Quinn.
In the updated report, the consultant team laid out a plan that would address capacity needs. The five-phase construction timeline would begin with a 1,728-bed Level V facility to open by 2029. Following would be phases to expand the Sioux Falls Community Center, two 768-bed Level IV facilities and a possible second large-scale complex. With all the recommendations, this would amount to a construction cost projected between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion, not including the cost of demolition.
One of the main priorities for the task force has been the selection of a viable site. The consultants were given 12 options to assess, including the already purchased 320-acre Lincoln County site. In the report, the Lincoln County site ranked as the top recommendation due to its size, readiness for development, and proximity to Sioux Falls for staff and support services.
As AW presented the findings from the report to the committee, lawmakers asked detailed questions about staffing challenges, fire and emergency response times, and whether expansions at existing facilities could offer a more cost-effective alternative.
Tom Bartelli, senior preconstruction manager for JE Dunn, the general contractor who had been hired for the project as part of a joint venture (JV) team with contractor Henry Carlson Construction, explained to attendees that a vertical expansion at the Jameson Facility could cost upwards of $138 million for just 192 additional beds due to the logistics of working on an occupied facility and addressing the code compliance issues and outdated design.
“Your cost per square foot would be extremely high, and you’d have to relocate those inmates during construction,” Bartelli said.
Additions such as dorm-style housing at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield, S.D., were discussed but also came with high per-bed costs and limited long-term scalability.
Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, who chairs the Prison Project Reset Task Force, reminded members that their mission is to weigh all viable options and craft a plan that can gain broad legislative support. The June 3 meeting was conducted in an open format and included time for public comment. The task force made the decision to remove the Lincoln County site from consideration as well as a site outside Huron and the state-owned West Farm location.
A final motion by Rep. Scott Odenbach was approved 22-0 that the office of the state engineer and its contractors should develop options and request proposals for facility improvements or replacements providing between 1,500 and 1,700 beds, with a max. price of $600 million and preference for construction at existing, currently operating DOC locations or as an alternative to include the remaining proposed sites near Mitchell or Worthing.
JE Dunn senior vice president Vance McMillan noted that meeting the state’s capacity needs within a $600 million budget, while maintaining long-term durability and modern correctional standards, would be a significant challenge. He pledged that JE Dunn would present options to the committee at the upcoming July 8 meeting, in preparation for the special legislative session set for July 22.
Correctional News has been following this story and will continue to provide updates as they become available.