Gov. Rhoden Announces Plan to Create the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced his intent to create the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force, which will determine the best path forward for expanding rehabilitation services as the state plans for the new prison. This task force will be established through an Executive Order following the passage and signing of the draft legislation for the new prison.
“It is no secret that our current penitentiary is unsafe and lacks sufficient resources to equip inmates for re-entry into society. On Tuesday, the Legislature can make the largest investment in public safety in South Dakota’s history, which will ultimately reduce recidivism,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “The new facility will dramatically increase programming space, so the next task is to expand our rehabilitative programming – that’s where this task force comes in.”
Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen will serve as the chairman of this task force. The task force will assess the programming needs of the inmate population, understand options for faith-based and Native American-focused programs, study best practices for re-entry models, and make recommendations on how to best use the expanded space of the new facility.
“This year, legislators and other stakeholders worked hard on both the prison task force and the legislative summer study on recidivism,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen. “This task force will build upon that important work and help shape effective programming for our inmate population.”
Last week, Governor Rhoden released the full plan for a new prison, which will be voted on at the Special Session on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The draft legislation, which you can find here, creates the space to allow for treatment programming and vocational training, whereas the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force will focus on determining what those programs look like.
The Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force will include legislators from both chambers and both parties; a cross section of experts in behavioral health, addiction counseling, and correctional rehabilitative services; and a tribal representative. It will begin its work this fall.
You can find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the prison plan here.
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Holy shit how about Rhoden just makes some decisions on his own for once? Do we need a task force for everything? What’s next, a task force to tell him what he should eat for breakfast?
Wow. Growing government? There is much published data on recidivism. Why pay a bunch of people to sit at a table and hash out what we already know. Make a decision on your own Governor!
This is what transparency is. Like it, hate it, transparency brings people to the table to ” hash ” it out. Seems that is what the public has wanted. If Governor Rhoden made a personal decision, the public outcry of ” dictator” would be shouted from the roof tops. Lose, lose situation.
As much as taxpayers hate paying for programs that help prisoners with re-entry, if operated properly, they can dramatically reduce recidivism rates. That helps lower the crime rate and saves money on future incarcerations.
Sounds like a bunch of MacArthur and John Arnold Liberal Foundation BS being pushed by Venhuizen. Rhoden needs to man up and make some decisions instead of letting a lame committee allow the Pew Foundation to dictate policy that will run social engineering experiments on South Dakota felons. After a year of delays, indecision, blame, cow towing and buffoonery, Rhoden isn’t any closer to updating the prison. What a waste of space in the Govs office. Noem would never have let this get so out of control. And she definitely would not have handed the reins over to her Lt. Governor and some BS committee.