SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Gov. Larry Rhoden’s Prison Project Reset task force entered its second day of meetings on Thursday.
The task force heard presentations from the South Dakota Department of Corrections on prison facilities and programs Thursday morning at the South Dakota Military Alliance in Sioux Falls.
KELOLAND News will livestream the afternoon session, which is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. with public comment. You can watch in the player attached above.
On Thursday morning, Ryan Brunner with Rhoden’s office, told the task force the state hired a new consultant Arrington Watkins for a new study on the DOC facilities. Brunner said the contract with Arrington Watkins is to not exceed $729,000 with a base contract price of $663,000.
“It will be similar to how we hired DLR a few years ago, but we hired Arrington Watkins to take a fresh look at this,” Brunner said. “They just got their notice to proceed yesterday afternoon.”
KELOLAND News will have team coverage of Thursday’s meeting online and in upcoming newscasts on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the task force toured the proposed site in Lincoln County and the men’s prison in Sioux Falls.
The proposed project and proposed site has received strong resistance from opponents. The legislature did not pass funding for the proposed project.
“One thing I think is a given, no matter where you try to put this, you’re going to have resistance from folks,” task force member Republican Sen. Ernie Otten said in Wednesday’s KELOLAND News story. “Nobody wants a prison next door to them.”
Otten lives around 10 miles from the Lincoln County site.
The task force was created in February by Rhoden after the Legislature did not pass funding for a new men’s prison in Lincoln County. The prison had a guaranteed maximum price of $825 million that expired on March 31.
Rhoden said during his task force new conference that “all the cards are on the table” as to what a new plan could be.
Rhoden selected lawmakers and other leaders for the task force. His plan for a task force also included finding a consultant to act as an advisor.
Project Prison Reset next meeting in April 29 in Springfield which is the site of of the DOC’s Mike Durfee prison.
