Lincoln County Commission wants answers about prison site

County developing comprehensive plan amid prison announcement

The Lincoln County Commission requested more information from the South Dakota Department of Corrections on Friday regarding DOC’s plan to build a new men’s state prison south of Harrisburg.

In a statement from Commission Administrative Officer Steve Rasmussen, the commission said that since the announcement, first reported by The Dakota Scout, “the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners has received numerous phone calls and emails from the community expressing concerns and seeking information about the proposed facility.”

“Similar to the community at large,” the statement added, “the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners did not receive advance notice or information from the DOC concerning their intent to build this new facility in Lincoln County prior to their press release.”

About a half-dozen residents voiced concerns about the project at the commission’s Oct. 10 meeting.

How a Swedish-born widow's farm became site for new men's prison in Lincoln County