Gov. Rhoden Releases Full Plan for New Prison


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

September 8, 2025  

Contact: Josie Harms  

 

Gov. Rhoden Releases Full Plan for New Prison

Also Releases Comparison to Nebraska Prison Proposal

  

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden released the full plan for a new prison to be built at the Benson Road site in Sioux Falls. This plan reflects the unanimous agreement by the prison task force. The plan will be voted on in the upcoming special session on September 23. You can find the full plan here.

 

“Thank you to the prison task force for creating a good plan and to the contractors for putting together a design that fits those parameters,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “This is a fiscally responsible plan that will give South Dakota a 100-year facility with necessary space to reform our corrections system.”

 

The plan reflects the adjustments that were made to reduce the price tag from $825 million at the Lincoln County site down to $650 million at the Benson Road site. These changes result in a net reduction of 160,000 square feet of space without cutting vital programming space necessary to reduce recidivism.

 

The plan specifically reduces costs by $175 million by making the following adjustments:

 

  • A $125 million reduction in building costs, including:
    • A 176,000 square foot adjustment in net cell housing changes by shifting from seven smaller cell housing units to three larger ones, adding one dorm-style unit, and reducing dayroom space from 70 square feet per-inmate down to 40;
    • A 5,000 square foot reduction in intake space;
    • A 5,000 square foot reduction in the central utility plant; and
    • There is no decrease in programming space – in fact, there is a 27,000 square foot increase in vocational space;
  • A $25 million reduction in site costs; and
  • A $25 million reduction in soft costs.

 

Governor Rhoden also released a comparison to the Nebraska prison proposal, which was a frequent point of discussion by the prison task force. You can find that comparison here.

 

Governor Rhoden previously released the draft legislation for the new prison, which you can find here. An outline of the legislation can be found here.

 

You can find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the prison plan here.

 

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