2 Task Force Members Say Prison, Site Must Fit Needs

2 task force members say prison, site must fit needs

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- Several members of a prison task force said a new men's prison and its site need to fit the needs of staff and offenders. Task force member Republican Sen. Jim Mehlhaff said he doesn't want the state to pursue a project that fits only a few years with a need to address additional issues. "If we do that, we've failed," Mehlhaff said. A prison project is something the state wants to do every 50 to 100 years, he said. Th…

City Hall, development boosters say no to Sioux Falls prison sites

City and development leaders in Sioux Falls don’t want South Dakota’s next prison in their city. Mayor Paul TenHaken, Police Chief Jon Thum and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation (SFDF) want the state to steer clear of building new correctional facilities near two industrial parks in the northern region of the city. In letters sent to the Project Prison Reset Task Force, both City Hall and SFDF expressed strong opposition to four proposed pr…