Former South Dakota DOC warden critical of Lincoln County prison plan

Douglas Weber said the state needs a new prison to replace Springfield facility, not the State Penitentiary

Correction: A previous version of this story had the wrong dollar amount for the price of the prison.

The second-longest serving warden in the history of the South Dakota State Penitentiary is calling on lawmakers to hit the brakes on spending nearly a billion dollars on a new men’s prison.

In a letter to lawmakers, Douglas Weber urges them to delay the decision until at least next year to give the state time to assess its prison facilities during a summer study session.

“The cost of this proposed project is quickly approaching $1 billion dollars and our state, and its citizens, cannot afford a wrong decision now that will impact everyone for generations,” he wrote.

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