Women’s prison could be on the horizon for Rapid City

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - With House Bill 1016 heading to Gov. Kristi Noem for consideration, the construction of a new women’s prison in Rapid City could be on the horizon.

The new minimum security prison will be built near Feeding South Dakota on 20 acres of land. The prison would mean female inmates would no longer have to go to Pierre to serve their sentences. The focus of the new facility will be on job skills, rehabilitation, drug and alcohol treatment as well as work release.

State Sen. Helene Duhamel stated,” A third of the women are from the Pennington, Meade County area, so you keep it out here you keep them close to their support system, and when they get those jobs and work release they can keep those jobs after they get out. It makes a ton of sense to keep it here.”

Groundbreaking for the new facility could happen later this year.

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