KKE Architects Working on Facilities in South Dakota and Minnesota

WAGNER, S.D. — The final design for a new correctional facility to be built within a former factory in Wagner, S.D., was submitted by KKE Architects.

Using the factory’s existing shell and column structure, the firm, in conjunction with the Yankton Sioux Tribe, created a design for a 43-bed facility for adult and juvenile offenders that would meet the safety, operational and cultural needs of inmates and staff.

Funded by the Department of Justice through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the refurbished center is expected to incur lower construction costs than building from the ground up, while also conserving land. Serving a 100-mile radius, the facility will reduce the cost of transporting local offenders to facilities as far as Wayne, Neb., and Bismarck, N.D., due to overcrowding in local detention centers. If construction is approved, the project is estimated to take 12 to 16 months to complete.

KKE Architects Inc. will also design a new 260-bed jail and law enforcement center in Wright County, Minn.

The jail could potentially house up to 450 inmates with double bunking and could accommodate up to 600 inmates with future expansion. The law enforcement center will house the sheriff’s administration, and patrol and communications departments. Construction is expected to be complete in 2009.

The new facility is the first priority on the county’s long-range planning program. Officials hoped the current jail would suffice until 2012, but recent growth in the county’s 17 cities and 18 townships has caused operational needs to exceed existing space, according to county officials.

Located on an 89-acre plot of land, the center will be able to house all inmates in one facility, reducing transportation and boarding costs. It will be equipped with video visitation technology for secure legal and personal communication.