LETTER | Native Americans need voice on new prison task force

Letter by Allan Saugstad of Sioux Falls

Artist’s rendering for a planned new prison in Lincoln County.

The governor's task force for the new men's prison needs to include the voices of Native Americans in South Dakota. Our state incarcerates a higher percentage of our population than any of the six states surrounding us — and Native Americans are imprisoned far out of proportion to their numbers. If we are serious about rehabilitative services and lowering the rate of recidivism, we need to include Native leaders in this planning process.

Rhoden administration standing firm in face of prison project peril