The Jan. 24 Press & Dakotan report on the January 20 Cracker Barrel presents important questions for our state.
Of great concern for South Dakota taxpayers is where the money is spent. Rep. Stevens acknowledged plans by our state to build one or two new prisons at a cost of $400-800 million each. Experience tells us such projects always end up costing more than the estimates, so taxpayers should expect costs to come closer to $1 billion each, or $2 billion for the pair., which equals 10 years of both Medicaid expansion and repeal of the food tax, of which our government representatives are now questioning the affordability.
As a state, we already have an incarceration rate that is 2½ times that of Minnesota. If we build more prisons, we will fill them. “Build it and they will come.” The $2 billion does not cover: cost of operation (utilities, maintenance, upkeep, etc.), cost of Correctional staff, and loss of workforce sitting in a jail cell. And it obviously doesn’t cover costs of food, clothing, housing, medical, dental, and vision care for all the South Dakotans locked away. South Dakota taxpayers will pay for these until the cows come home!
I am not “soft” on crime. But that is a lot of money we will spend in one way, or another, for a long time to come.
South Dakota can do as well, or better, than Minnesota. Are we even trying, or do we just rely on old ideas?
(2) comments
Now you can't hire/retain guards at old prison---so sure it makes sense to build brand new one and have same issues with employees. Plus build at time state is looking to cut expenses. Yep yep yep all makes sense now where priorities are.
Also find Freddies concern of mere $400 million to be spent when his democrat president has thrown $113 billion down the drain sending it to Ukraine or $80 billion in arms the presidential clown left with the enemy the Taliban on botched withdrawal. $400 mill is chump change
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