(Undated) — The South Dakota group NOPE, or Neighbors Opposing Prison Expansion, is celebrating a win with a proposed men’s prison site in Lincoln County off the table. They’re throwing support behind upgrades at existing prisons instead of building new ones. The state’s Project Prison Reset task force is still weighing its options, including sites in Mitchell and Worthing. Task force member Erin Healy says Mitchell got more discussion at the latest meeting, but Worthing is still in the running. Another member adds Worthing might have a better shot, while Mitchell’s distance from Sioux Falls creates staffing concerns. The task force agrees a new prison is needed, but whether that can happen for the proposed 600-million-dollar cap is still up for debate.
