Kellie Wasko, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Corrections, has announced her resignation, effective October 20. In a letter addressed to Governor Larry Rhoden, Wasko stated that the decision came after months of reflection and discussions with her family. She plans to pursue other professional opportunities.
Appointed by former Governor Kristi Noem, Wasko’s tenure has been marked by growing controversy surrounding the proposed construction of a $650 million, 1,500-bed men’s prison in Sioux Falls. Public criticism over the project’s cost and location has intensified in recent months, with calls for her resignation echoing across state leadership and correctional oversight groups.
Concerns about the state’s prison system were amplified by Representative Tim Reisch, a former DOC secretary, who submitted a letter to the governor’s Project Prison Reset task force. In it, Reisch described a breakdown in staff and inmate safety, citing a troubling rise in assaults, suicides, and overdoses since February. He argued that before taxpayers are asked to invest nearly a billion dollars in prison modernization, systemic mismanagement must be addressed.
A special legislative session is scheduled for September 23 to determine whether the state will move forward with replacing the current penitentiary.
In her resignation statement, Wasko reflected on her time leading the department, highlighting several accomplishments during her three-and-a-half-year tenure. These include a 43% increase in officer pay, a dramatic reduction in vacancy rates among uniformed staff, enhanced safety and security measures, and the implementation of nationally recognized correctional policies. She also pointed to improvements in staff training, offender healthcare, and rehabilitation programs.
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