Pennington County officials are proposing a major expansion to the county jail, citing overcrowding and aging infrastructure.
At Monday night’s Rapid City Council meeting, Sheriff Brian Mueller, County Commissioner Jerry Derr, and Buildings and Grounds Director Davis Purcell laid out plans for a new jail tower. Law enforcement leaders say the current jail has been full for years and can no longer keep pace with the growing inmate population.
Rapid City Police Chief Don Hedrick says the situation is forcing difficult decisions.
“Law enforcement used to have conversations about trying to triage offenders when we hit max capacity,” Hedrick said.
The proposed tower could cost between $95 and $140 million. Officials plan to ask the city for $30 million over 30 years to help fund construction.
But not everyone is on board. City Council Member Bill Evans criticized the jail’s harsh exterior and visibility downtown.
“I think it’s bad, optically, for the city when the most prominent public building is the one that incarcerates citizens,” he said.
Once the new tower is complete, current inmates would be relocated so the original 1989 jail facility can be renovated — a project estimated to cost $36 million.
