COUNTERPOINT: We've made South Dakota corrections stronger and safer

Guest column by South Dakota Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko

Over the past several years, I have been proud to lead the changes within the South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC). When I came into the role of Secretary, DOC was in the early stages of a much-needed course correction. We had far too few security staff in our facilities, especially the State Penitentiary. Equipment was old and worn down, training was obsolete, and the culture of the department was in shambles.

These factors added up to an unsafe environment for both correctional staff and the inmates in our prisons. A study by CGL, a national leader in corrections operations, recommended 91 updates to policies and procedures to modernize the way we operate, so I got to work to fix things. We changed policies to match industry standards, updated training methods, and launched a new recruitment campaign to get enough staff into our facilities to keep them safe.

VIEWPOINT | DOC leader's policies have made South Dakota prison dangerous