Feb. 23, 2026:
The South Dakota House has approved (Feb. 23, 2026) a bill that authorizes the demolition of one building that’s part of the current state women’s prison campus in Pierre.
Rep. Erik Muckey from Sioux Falls spoke in favor of House Bill 1046.
Rep. Al Novstrup from Aberdeen also urged fellow lawmakers to pass the bill.
Demolition of the Pierre Minimum Center has been the plan since the approval of construction of a new women’s prison in Rapid City.
The Office of the State Engineer contracted with a company to do a facility condition assessment last fall. The recommendation was that the facility be decommissioned.
The state Department of Corrections currently does not have a plan for the future use of the land where the Pierre Minimum Center is located.
HB 1046 passed 57-10. It will now go through the approval process in the Senate.
Feb. 9, 2026:
The South Dakota Legislature’s Joint Committee on Appropriations has given a “do pass” recommendation (Feb. 9, 2026) to a bill that authorizes the demolition of one building that’s part of the current state women’s prison campus in Pierre.
Nick Lamb, state Corrections Secretary, said House Bill 1046 would allocate $683,000 to demolish the Pierre Minimum Center, which has been the plan since the approval of construction of a new women’s prison at Rapid City.
Lamb said the Office of the State Engineer contracted with a company to do a facility condition assessment last Fall.
One committee member asked Lamb if the State Engineer or the Corrections Department had researched the possibility of selling the building rather than demolishing it, to which Lamb replied….
Lamb said the Corrections Department currently has no future plan for the use of the land where the Pierre Minimum Center sits.
HB 1046 passed on a 17-1 vote.
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