VIEWPOINT | Time to focus on full prison facts, not partial facts

Guest column by Douglas L. Weber, former South Dakota prison warden

On Tuesday our legislators will make one of the most critical decisions for the state of South Dakota and its citizens: the approval to expend $650 million for construction of a new prison complex as outlined in the governor’s latest bill.

The Project Prison Reset Task Force was able to make substantial progress in the brief period they were given to provide recommendations for a new bill to be considered during a special session. If this bill is passed, then the dam is broken, and the flow of expenditures will be even swifter than we experienced during the pre-construction phase of the Lincoln County proposed prison building project.

At this point in time the legislators will be making their vote on partial facts and faith and not based on solid and complete facts or evidence. If we can shave $175 million plus off the first proposed building plan, then opening the project for competitive bids for a new general contractor/contractor at risk should be our next step. Adding a few months at the front end to define and refine the plans for a project promised to be in use for the next 100 years is time and money well spent.

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