Strong and Safe Corrections
By: Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko
Over the past several years, I have been proud to lead the changes within the South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC). When I came into the role of Secretary, DOC was in the early stages of a much-needed course correction. We had far too few security staff in our facilities, especially the State Penitentiary. Equipment was old and worn down, training was obsolete, and the culture of the department was in shambles.
These factors added up to an unsafe environment for both correctional staff and the inmates in our prisons. A study by CGL, a national leader in corrections operations, recommended 91 updates to policies and procedures to modernize the way we operate, so I got to work to fix things. We changed policies to match industry standards, updated training methods, and launched a new recruitment campaign to get enough staff into our facilities to keep them safe.
It’s working! Things are trending in the right direction at DOC. For the first time in years, our vacancy rate for security officers has dropped down to nine vacancies statewide – it had been 152 vacancies less than two years ago. We’re hiring more officers because we’ve changed the culture of our correctional institutions.
But there are some who don’t like the changes that we’ve made. Some have particularly criticized our adoption of industry standards and best practices. For instance, they want us to use restrictive housing more often, but this does not rehabilitate; it dehumanizes and can cause psychological damage to an inmate, particularly when used for long periods of time.
When people commit crimes, they come to prison as punishment, as they should. We don’t throw shoplifters in prison for life, and we won’t throw inmates into restrictive housing or “solitary confinement” just for swearing at correctional officers. This has been part of the evolution of modern corrections, to change behavior. Those who wish for the old ways of locking them up in restrictive housing are, quite frankly, behind the times.
We’ve also been criticized for emphasizing employment for inmates on work release, rather than community service. These inmates had been earning only 25 cents an hour – now, they earn minimum wage. This policy change has been good for several reasons. Now, inmates can learn a valuable skill in an actual job rather than just picking up trash on the side of the road. We’ve avoided lawsuits for “slave labor” like other states have experienced, which is just good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. In fact, several states have amended their constitutions to clarify that slave labor of inmates is not allowed. Inmates use this money to pay restitution to victims, fines to the state, child support, and save up money so they can successfully reenter society.
And the number of inmates who have walked away from worksites has plummeted. In the last year before changing this policy, we had 41 escapes. This year we’ve only had one walkaway, the lowest in memory.
Corrections should be focused on rehabilitation, not just locking people up. I have led the department as we made the necessary changes, always focused on the safety of my team.
Some of these changes are recent, and I realize that they can be hard for those who have been involved in corrections for a long time to understand. But as we learn more about human psychology, we need to apply that knowledge to how we rehabilitate people.
Are there still challenges in our prisons? Yes, we are talking about a prison full of convicts and a State Penitentiary that’s older than the State of South Dakota. For the first time in a long time, DOC has adequate training, nationally endorsed and standardized policies, and enough employees to properly address such situations. And after years of ignoring the need for new safety equipment by former corrections secretaries, we are properly equipping our officers with everything they need to protect themselves. Today’s corrections are not the same as they were 10-15-20 years ago. It has been time for South Dakota to evolve.
I am dedicated and committed to working hard so conditions continue trending in the right direction at our state prisons. We aren’t going to let a few naysayers get in the way of our important work. Keeping South Dakotans safe – including staff and inmates – is too important.
—
Kellie Wasko has served as the Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Corrections since March of 2022. She has worked in corrections for 28 years in a variety of roles, including Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Director of Prisons, Warden, Associate Warden, Health Services Administrator, and line nurse. She has been an active member of the American Correctional Association where she has served as the Chair of the Coalition of Correctional Health Authorities, Chair of the Healthcare Committee, and the current Chair of the Adult Corrections Committee. She has been a national and international presenter on topics including healthcare and mental illness in corrections, restrictive housing, and correctional leadership. She also serves on the Board of Governors for ACA and is an active board member of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections. She is a recipient of the Colorado Medal of Valor, the Colorado Medal of Merit, and the 2018 recipient of the National Correctional Healthcare Leadership award.
