(Pierre, SD) — South Dakota’s top law enforcement officer is pushing for a lower price tag on the state’s next men’s prison. Attorney General Marty Jackley, who’s on the state’s prison task force, says he favors a 525 million dollar option, far less than an earlier 825 million dollar proposal and well below a recent 2.1 billion dollar consultant estimate. Jackley says the lower-cost plan would still add 15-hundred beds and help protect both public safety and taxpayers. The task force hasn’t picked a site yet, but members say existing DOC locations like Jameson, the Hill, or Springfield could be in play. Their next meeting is June 3rd, with final recommendations expected in a July 22nd special legislative session.
