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SDPB Radio Coverage of the South Dakota Legislature. See all coverage and find links to audio and video streams live from the Capitol at www.sdpb.org/statehouse

All Votes Support Juvenile Justice Reform

A Pierre committee is moving forward with reforms to South Dakota’s juvenile justice system. Legislation that changes the way the state handles young offenders has now passed three of four steps to getting on the governor’s desk.

A Senate committee, the full body and most recently a House committee have all considered Senate Bill 73and not one lawmakers has voted against in. The measure reforms South Dakota’s juvenile corrections system. The overhaul aims to keep kids out of correctional facilities and instead connect them with rehabilitative resources close to home.

Jim Seward with the Governor’s Office says a fiscal analysis shows the reform pays off.

"You can see that in the first year, there’s about a $3.2 million investment, that being a cost. In the second year, they estimate that there will be a cost but there could already be a savings of $2.8 million. That continues on from a range of a $2 million cost down to a range of $1 million cost by FY20 – or a net savings of $4 to $6 million dollars within two to three years," Seward says.

In 2013, lawmakers tackled reform in the adult criminal justice system. Seward says two years after those changes, the state’s prison population is below original projections. He says added cost savings likely follow.

Representative Spencer Hawley says the numbers look promising of juvenile corrections reform. He says it’s also the right thing to do.

Lawmakers on the House State Affairs committee approved Senate Bill 73 with a unanimous vote.

Just two weeks remain in South Dakota’s 2015 legislative session.

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).