Minnehaha County approves up to $50M for new Juvenile Justice Center
The Minnehaha County Commission has unanimously approved the use of up to $50 million to construct a new Juvenile Justice Center to replace the current aging facility in use by the county.
Prior to the vote, Assistant Commission Administrative Officer Tyler Klatt outlined some of the issues cited as reasons to replace the Juvenile Detention Center, which was built in 1969.
The facility has only 40 secure rooms, and demand is expected to exceed that number by 2026. The age and layout of the building "present significant concerns" to safety, ranging from linear, congested hallways to the lack of a secure entrance for law enforcement.
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The building has been renovated twice, in 1988 and 1995, and future renovations that would be necessary include replacing many of the building's doors, outdated electronics and doing significant work to mechanical, electric and plumbing systems.
"It is overwhelming in how underwhelming it is," said Commissioner Joe Kippley.
The Juvenile Justice Center, by comparison, would have 64 secure sleeping rooms, matching capacity projections for the next 20 years. It would also allow all juvenile justice activities to be located in the same area, clearing space at the Minnehaha County Courthouse and creating staffing efficiencies.
The new facility could also ensure they had the necessary staff in the first place, Kippley said.
“If we want to recruit quality people to work in a facility," Kippley said in comments during the meeting, "they need a facility that is up to at least basic standards.”
Commissioner Jean Bender said the project's importance was one of the few she could remember in her time on the commission where no one had spoken in opposition to it.
County Auditor Ben Kyte said the resolution would enable the county to issue up to $50 million in debt for the construction of the center, though it wouldn't necessarily have to all be issued at one time.
The estimated annual tax impact on a home valued at $300,000 would be $50.13, Kyte said, with the county making annual payments of nearly $3.6 million through 2043.
That will mean an increase in costs for entities outside Minnehaha County that send people to the center as well. Minnehaha County partners with 15 counties to provide a discounted daily bed rate, which is currently $278.08 per day. Non-partners pay $358.68 per day.
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The new rate is not finalized, but is expected to be between $450-$500 for partners and the South Dakota Department of Corrections. Klatt said partners had been informed of the potential changes, and that 60% of partners had been supportive. Klatt added those partners represented 70% of the center's partner usage.
Several commissioners, however, specifically called out the South Dakota legislature for their lack of support. Commissioner Gerald Beninga called it "ironic" the state had declined to support the project, given that 25% of the youth housed there were from the DOC.
And Commissioner Dean Karsky said "the state needs to come to the table," adding a $10 million input would make a significant difference in the project. It wasn't a completely lost cause, he said, adding that they were still speaking with some legislators about "what that $10 million would do for us."
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Minnehaha Commission approves up to $50M for Juvenile Justice Center
