South Dakota Men Correctional Facility

The South Dakota Men’s Level V Facility in Lincoln County represents a significant advancement in correctional infrastructure, addressing urgent issues such as inmate overcrowding, improved security, staff well-being and retention, and appropriate treatment for the inmate population. This new 741,000-square-foot correctional facility, set within a campus environment with a budget of $615 million, will house 1,584 inmates across seven housing buildings.

The NELSON design team collaborated closely with the owner and users to develop operational scenarios for each area of the facility, including housing, intake, medical, food services, visiting, administration, maintenance, laundry, program areas, and recreation. This approach allowed corrections managers and staff to visualize and plan the operation of their new facility from a fresh perspective. The designers guided staff through the visualization process, creating physical layouts that meet the goals of the operational plan for each distinct area.

The facility includes specialized structures for intake, admissions, and orientation, as well as buildings dedicated to administrative functions, medical services, dining, religious activities, education, industries, and maintenance.

Designed to meet the diverse needs of its population and operational requirements, this state-of-the-art campus aims to improve living conditions and support the rehabilitation and management of inmates. Each building within the campus will be one-story, featuring distinct character, common spaces, and ample daylight with views of the surrounding landscape. Evidence-based design has demonstrated the benefits of daylighting: students in schools with modern lighting outperform their peers in artificially lit schools, attendance rates increase, hospital patients heal faster with views of the outdoors and greenery, factory workers are more productive with less absenteeism, and retail sales rise when daylight is part of the retail environment.