SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — One of the possible sites for new men’s prison facilities sits less than a mile away from the existing one in Sioux Falls.
The site sits north of the Jameson Annex on a 28-acre lot owned by the Department of Corrections. About 17 of those acres are considered “buildable land.” The area is being considered for a second prison building that would expand beyond the current facilities.
“A lot of people think that potentially using this site would be like adding a garage onto your house, but it’s not,” Project Prison Reset task force member Greg Jamison said. “It’s down the street and around the corner a vacant lot.”
Given a canal that separates the land and the lot’s size, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Jamison worry the location could present efficiency and future growth problems.
“You’re really building a separate campus,” TenHaken said. “While it’s close, it could just as well be five miles away because you’re having to build a whole new set of infrastructure. There’s really not a lot of economies of scale.”
Jamison, a Republican state representative, believes the new site could fit up to 400 additional beds.
“The size of this land is really comparable to the land that’s out in Rapid City, where a brand new women’s prison is being built,” Jamison said. “What they’ve designed and used out there is about a 300-bed facility.”
TenHaken also raises public safety concerns because of the city’s bike trail, which sees an estimated one million users every year.
“The bike trail would literally cut between these two campuses. It would go in the middle of it,” TenHaken said. “That itself would be a little concerning amongst a lot of other things.”
Mayor TenHaken told KELOLAND News he’s not opposed to having a prison in Sioux Falls, but he and Jamison agree this area is not a long-term solution.
“It’s not ideal for me in my consideration, but there are multiple considerations out there and proposals getting put together that we need to consider,” Jamison said.
Two sites, not owned by the DOC, that are up for consideration are in Mitchell and Worthing.
The task force meets on July 8th.
