Local legislators, KWAT News tour Codington County Jail (Audio)

July 1, 2022
Mike Tanner

 

WATERTOWN, S.D.–Codington County Sheriff Brad Howell led a tour of the county jail yesterday.

 

The tour group included KWAT News, and a couple of local legislators, Fred Deutsch and Hugh Bartels.

 

Deutsch was asked what his takeaways were from touring a jail that was built almost fifty years ago….

 

 

He says it’s not a safe environment for correctional officers to be working in…

 

 

The jail includes designated cells for juvenile offenders, and that was of special interest to Deutsch. He’s on a summer study committee looking at potential juvenile justice reforms….

 

 

This is the second time Bartels has toured the jail…

 

 

County Commissioner Lee Gabel says in the near term, the jail’s heating and cooling system needs replacing. That’ll cost somewhere between three and four million dollars.

 

Codington County voters in recent years have defeated two bond issues to build a new jail.