Joint Democratic Caucus Statement on New Prison Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 23rd, 2025

Pierre, SD — The South Dakota Democratic Party is grateful that state lawmakers prioritized the safety of DOC staff and inmates by approving a new men's prison in Sioux Falls.

The 145-year-old State Penitentiary has become a hazard and does not support the re-entry and rehabilitation programs that are needed. We thank Gov. Larry Rhoden for agreeing to work with the Democratic Senate and House caucuses in the upcoming legislative session to support preventative measures and resources for people who are incarcerated. It's time for real criminal justice reform that lowers recidivism rates, improves re-entry programs and supports inmates and their families.

Below is the statement from the Joint Democratic Caucus.

"Today, the Joint Democratic Caucus voted yes to build a new state penitentiary. The truth is simple: the current facility is unsafe, outdated, and inhumane. It fails the staff who walk through its doors every day, and it fails the people living inside it."

"How can we talk about rehabilitation when people do not even feel safe where they sleep? When there is no space for counseling, treatment, or job training, people spend their days idle, waiting out sentences instead of preparing for life after prison. Too often, they return to their communities with no new skills, no support, and no hope. That does not heal families or neighborhoods. It only ensures the same struggles come back again and again."

"We supported building a new penitentiary because we believe people deserve better. Every person, no matter their mistakes, should be treated with dignity and given a chance to heal, grow, and change. People are more than the worst decision they ever made, and if we want safer communities, we have to give them the tools to succeed when they reenter society. Our caucus has long fought for criminal justice reform because we know rehabilitation and second chances are the path to stronger families and safer communities."

"But a new building, on its own, will not solve these challenges. True public safety starts long before anyone enters the justice system. It starts in homes, classrooms, and neighborhoods. When families have food on the table, a roof over their heads and schools that open doors of opportunity, fewer people fall into crisis. When communities can access mental health care, substance use treatment, and affordable housing, fewer people end up behind bars. When those supports are missing, the cracks show up everywhere else: in prisons, in courtrooms, and in emergency rooms."

"Locking people away is not a strategy for safety. Healing is. Prevention is. Education is. A stronger South Dakota means fewer victims, fewer people in crisis, and more neighbors able to live with dignity and purpose. That is why the Joint Democratic Caucus secured commitments, in collaboration with Governor Rhoden, to pursue a rehabilitation task force and work in good faith to invest in rehabilitation, support for parolees, and resources meant to keep South Dakotans from going to prison in the first place."

"South Dakotans deserve a justice system that heals, not one that harms. We deserve communities where people are set up for success, not failure. We deserve a future where redemption is possible, where second chances are real, and where safety comes from hope, not just from punishment. That is the path forward, and it is the future we will keep fighting to build."

South Dakota Joint Democratic Caucus

For questions, please contact Dan Ahlers, Executive Director of the SD Democratic Party at dan@sddp.org or 605-940-3071.

Paid for by the South Dakota Democratic Party | www.sddp.org