Revisiting the need for a new prison

Greetings. It is with a sad heart that I write this article. Last week we buried Sen. Mike Diedrich, same age as me, age 70. Mike finally went home after a courageous battle with cancer.

Most senators are born on third base and they think they hit a triple. Not Sen. Diedrich, as we served in the House together for four years before he went over to the Senate. Here are a couple of take-aways from my friend Mike.

• Leave the woodpile higher than you found it.

• Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story (LOL)

• Lastly, There are enough critics in this world. Instead take the high road. Give a helping hand. (My favorite)

This was my 10th funeral of legislators who have passed, and they are equally upsetting because I’m saying goodbye for the last time to a great person, regardless of political views. Mike, I can’t wait to see you on the other side.

Each year during the legislative session we have a memorial ceremony held in the upper chamber, the House. The gallery is packed above and beyond and before it’s over, there isn’t a dry eye in the place. After, behind the House, we have a coffee reception in the Speaker’s Lobby.

Next year the memorial ceremony is Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. The public is welcome. 

If you decide to attend, please look me up. I’m the tall guy in row three in the center of the House chamber. You’ll be able to find my desk as there are always pics of my grands and a dead lion or something hunting related on it. 

Getting back to business. There are two things we need to get done. One is figuring out this state prison. We are going to have a special session for this in September. The other is we have to pass property tax relief on owner occupied homes! We need to! Nothing is going to happen here until session starts Jan. 13.

So, the prison. A couple of positives. We have $825 million in the bank for this endeavor. Even if we’ve blown $50 million, that still leaves $775 million in surplus. The prison reset committee voted unanimously on a $650 million prison. So, here’s where things get confusing.

I’ve said all along that the penitentiary in Sioux Falls was built in 1881, right? That is 100 percent true. However, that portion is called “The Hill.” In the Hill, 711 inmates are housed as of the end of May.

My point is, all we hear about is a 1,500 or 1,700 bed prison. News flash—the part that needs to be replaced is only holding 711 inmates. The only part that needs to be replaced is the 800-bed Hill.

It’s the citizens of South Dakota’s money in the savings account, so how big of a prison do you think we should build? Another point that is not mentioned is that the current prison complex has land at its current location to build on.

The day prior to the last prison reset committee meeting was July 8. About 25 of the current legislators listened to some recently released inmates and to a couple of inmates’ wives and a sister whose brother is serving 20 years. The story that stuck with me was about a young man who was sentenced to three years. I didn’t catch the reason but this is what he told us.

Upon arriving to serve his three-year sentence, he was issued an orange jumpsuit. They took the clothes he was wearing and he was left with just an orange jumpsuit, nothing else such as shoes, socks, underwear. He claims he lost 70 pounds in the first 45 days because he had to barter food to get socks, shoes and underwear. His happiest day was about day 30 when he gave up his supper for a pillow!

He had a wife and two kids, but they couldn’t contact him during that 45-day period. They call it commissary and dependents can put money in a prison account to buy supplies and food. In this case the inmate had to survive 45 days by bartering his food. He was a big guy and said he got into at least one fist fight a day. He also listed the crimes he witnessed those 45 first days and they were much worse than what he was sentenced for.

He also said that after he got through this, and got money for commissary, his wife found him a work release job in Sioux Falls. It was a construction job that paid well and some of the wages he used to pay back the state for his incarceration costs. His employer was so impressed with his work ethic that he tried to hire five more inmates, but the prison would not cooperate.

Lastly, he commented that he lost that job because the prison was constantly on lockdown, meaning all three facilities’ inmates were locked in their rooms. Once in lockdown, a prisoner cannot get out to go to work release so consequently his employer fired him for not showing up for work.

I asked this inmate, who was out on good behavior, if he thought the inmates were purposely in lockdown and being jacked around in order to facilitate bad behavior to justify a new prison and he answered yes.