Avoiding Rapid City women’s prison becoming an end stop for addicts

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The women’s prison being built in Rapid City is set to help the overcrowded facility in Pierre, but what some claim to be harsh drug laws in the state talks about what could be done to help those who are addicted, before the new prison opens are on-going.

Overcrowded is one word to describe the women’s prison in Pierre and the prison being built in Rapid City claims it will help reopen doors, so programs in both the new and old facilities can run more efficiently.

“We have classrooms right now that we’re having to use for women to sleep in,” explained South Dakota Department of Corrections secretary Kellie Wasko. “So, we will get classrooms back so that we can be doing cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, education, you know, all of the evidence-based programming that they need.”

“We really just needed a better facility that kept people safe while also giving us opportunities to expand our programs,” explained South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

An overcrowded prison isn’t the only issue; in last year’s annual Department of Corrections report, it was shown that just under 70% of women imprisoned for non-violent offenses were there for drug possession and ingestion, and for those numbers to go down, programs like the ones Wasko wants are needed, but at a faster rate.

“The key is more quickly available. You know, because if you are just arrested on a drug offense and you are immediately let out of jail, you’re working your way through the justice system,” explained Pennington County State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel. “But you’re not provided any immediate resource to deal with that addiction; I mean, you are just going to keep caught in that trap of using and violating bond, not appearing in court, continuing to use, which makes the justice system harder, harder, and harder for people.”

To avoid what some are claiming to be a bunch of addicts in the new women’s prison on day one, addressing substance use in South Dakota is needed.

“Are we doing enough to keep our women out of prison? No. I mean, we always need to be doing more; when we’re talking about addiction, that’s a tough, tough, tough thing to beat,” said Roetzel. “Encourage the legislature and the people that are funding probation and funding diversion; we’ve got to put the money there.”

Senate Bill 50, dealing with funding for the new women’s prison, is now headed to the governor’s desk after being passed in the South Dakota House on Monday.

“We have to work on spending money on people before, we’re spending money on them in prison,” said Roetzel.

In 2024, the South Dakota Legislative Session saw no bills that were made to fund adult diversion in the state.

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