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Rapid City women’s prison construction progresses on schedule; state says project fully funded
Summary
The Department of Corrections told the Joint Committee of Appropriations that core construction of the Rapid City Correctional Facility is roughed in, the project remains within its guaranteed maximum price and the department expects offenders to move in during summer 2026.
Department of Corrections officials told the Joint Committee of Appropriations that construction of the Rapid City Correctional Facility for female offenders is underway, the project is funded and the department plans to request ongoing operating dollars next year.
"This project is completely funded," Secretary Kelly Wasco said during the hearing, describing the legislative approvals that enabled land purchases, design and construction. She told the committee that Senate Bill 53 (2022) approved land purchase and design funding, and that subsequent appropriations fully funded construction.
Designs shown to the committee depict an open complex with a services building (kitchen, dining, education and programming spaces), an administration and visiting building and three housing units. Wasco said one housing unit will be medium custody and two will be minimum custody, and that the services building includes a multipurpose area and fenced outdoor space for culturally specific programming.
Project status and funding
The department reported a total appropriation of $87,100,000 for the Rapid City project and said it had spent roughly $19,000,000 to date on site work and construction progress. Wasco said construction bids came in under the guaranteed maximum price (GMP), leaving an owners’ contingency of nearly $5,000,000 that had not yet been used.
The committee was shown photos of roughed‑in housing units and an administration building under construction. Department officials said the construction schedule is a 24‑month build that began the previous summer; they said the department plans to hire and train staff in early 2026 so the facility will be ready to receive offenders in summer 2026.
Operating estimates
A consultant’s staffing analysis delivered to the department estimated 152.4 FTE to staff the facility. The department told members using fiscal 2025 salary rates that personal services (wages and benefits) would be about $12.6 million and operating expenses (food, clothing, clinical, security) about $3.4 million, for an estimated first‑year operating budget of about $16 million.
Committee members asked about local reaction and logistics. Vice chair Derby noted no local complaints since construction began. The department said the site is accessible from North Creek Road and that the next big construction milestones were the administration and services buildings.
Contracting and finance
Wasco said the project used an at‑risk construction manager and that, because bids were favorable, contingency dollars remain. The department identified furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) as costs that occur nearer move‑in and said those expenditures would be scheduled later in the project timeline.
The department said it will request the ongoing operating budget tied to the new facility next year and that offender moves will be staged once staff training is complete.
Wasco and committee members agreed the project remains on a timeline that would bring Rapid City online significantly sooner than the larger proposed men’s facility discussed elsewhere in the hearing.
