Hey, did you hear all that talk about rehabilitation and recidivism during the 2026 Legislative Session?
No, neither did I, and neither did Representative Brian Mulder (R-11/Sioux Falls):
Last year, lawmakers coalesced around the need to improve rehabilitation programming and reduce recidivism rates as part of a broader investment in South Dakota’s prison system. Those two issues were sticking points in an ultimately successful effort to approve construction of a men’s prison.
Yet during the 2026 legislative session that wrapped up earlier this month, few bills were brought forward to address inmate rehabilitation needs, lawmakers on a Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary Club panel said on Monday.
…The drive to address rehabilitation needs this session was pushed aside by the desire to provide property tax relief across the state, Mulder told South Dakota Searchlight after the panel discussion. The result is “another year lost” in strengthening rehabilitation as a new Rapid City Women’s Prison nears completion and the state begins construction on a men’s prison in Sioux Falls that will replace the oldest parts of the penitentiary.
“When we’re not releasing individuals to the best of their potential from our prison, it just puts a strain on our community overall,” Mulder told Searchlight, adding, “it’s just spinning our wheels, costing us more and more dollars.”
He told members of the Rotary Club that lawmakers and state officials will “continue to have that conversation” through the state Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force. Gov. Larry Rhoden formed the group of lawmakers, government officials and nonprofit leaders last year while lawmakers considered approving the $650 million men’s prison [Makenzie Huber, “Prison Rehabilitation, Recidivism ‘Quickly Forgotten’ by Lawmakers This Session, Legislator Says,” South Dakota Searchlight, 2026.03.23].
Well, the Governor did direct his rehab task force to work through 2026, and they’ve only had two meetings so far, and none during this Legislative Session. Legislators probably planned to wait for that group to do a full round of hearings and recommend bills for the 2027 Session. That’s the plan task force chief Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen appears to be following:
The task force is focused on behavioral health, educational, faith-based and Native American-themed programs. Its next meeting will be in April, Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen confirmed on Monday.
Venhuizen told attendees he expects rehabilitation and recidivism legislation will be a “major topic” next winter as the task force provides recommendations [Huber, 2026.03.23].
Lt. Gov. Venhuizen probably could have whipped the task force into shape sooner, but you darn Senators kept him busy briefing out the argument against stripping him of his constitutional tie-breaking vote.