Land for Lincoln County prison site worth nearly $8 million, DOC agrees to purchase

Two constitutional officers made value determination during a meeting Friday

(From left to right) Deputy School and Public Lands Commissioner Justin Nagel, Commissioner Brock Greenfield, and State Auditor Rich Sattgast meet to determine the value of state land the DOC wants to buy to use for a future prison site. (Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE – The South Dakota Department of Corrections will pay about $8 million to buy 320 acres of land near Harrisburg for a new men’s prison.

That’s the determination the state Board of Appraisal made Friday morning in response to an inquiry by the DOC, which says the State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls is not sufficient in the long term.

The two-person board, tasked with assigning value to state-owned lands as necessary, figured the two tracks were worth about $7.9 million based on appraisals obtained last month. Auditor Rich Sattgast and School and Public Lands Commissioner Brock Greenfield, who make up the board, took the median number from recent nearby land purchases and agricultural productivity for the two tracts to reach the agreed upon price for each property. 

Following the meeting, the DOC wasted no time in announcing that it would agree to the purchase.

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