South Dakota lawmakers will tackle the question of a new men’s prison in September.

PIERRE, SD (KELO.com) — South Dakota lawmakers will tackle the question of a new men’s prison in September.  Governor Larry Rhoden called a special session of the legislature for September 23rd to approve the location and funding for the facility.  That follows the unanimous decision by the Project Prison Reset Task Force to spend up to 650-million dollars to build a new men’s prison on one of two sites in Sioux Falls.

When the task force began its work, Governor Rhoden challenged members to find the answers to three questions:  1) Do we need a new prison?  2) If so, where should it be built?  3)If we need a new prison, how large should it be?  The task force unanimously agreed on all three questions, stating a new prison is needed, it should be built at one of two sites in Sioux Falls, and should be large enough to house approximately 15-hundred inmates.

Governor Larry Rhoden says the job now is to convince the legislature.  It will take a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate to approve construction.