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December2024
*NEXT NOPE MEETING**Questions For Legislators:
At the recent Joint Committee on Appropriations Meeting in Pierre, we were asked by the legislators to compile the list of questions we would like answered by the DOC.  This is due to our knowledge on the subject and the awareness being raised surrounding the many concerns of this proposed location.  The hard work cannot stop now.  If you have a question or point that you would like brought in front of the legislature, please use the link below for your submission.  

The prompt is as follows: 

What questions or concerns would you like state legislators to address regarding this project (budget, taxes, laws, resolutions, reform, etc.)? Please feel free to list as many as you’d like. (Please format each question on a new line).
 **Link:  https://forms.gle/4iSfu3ZVaMrSCCL38
(also above under “Questions for Legislators“)

****NOPE Brochure:
Heading into the next legislative session we will need to update our brochure.  The plan is for it to be finalized and printed before the session begins so we can raise awareness on this issue from the start.  There are many new legislators this session and filling them in on the detriments of this location from the beginning is essential to our cause. Please attend our next meeting (12/3/24 7 pm) with changes/updates/additions/subtractions that you would like to see made. 
Your input is greatly appreciated.  Please let us know if you have any questions.  We appreciate your dedication to NOPE Lincoln County!

Respectfully,
NOPE Board of Directors and Officers
7 pmJeff’s House (please use the garage entrance on the east side)
27617 SD Hwy 11
Canton, SD 57013

As the fastest growing county in the state of South Dakota, and the 9th fastest growing county in the country, Lincoln county should never have been considered as a potential home for 1,500 of our state’s worst offenders.
There are few locations like Lincoln county left in the country. Low crime, high growth, growing nearby schools, limited traffic, and a bustling economy. With a new prison all of that changes.
For a state who’s primary economic driver is agriculture, rezoning 320 acres of our most nutrient dense land away from ag production and into the department of corrections is irresponsible and goes against the county’s growth plans. Erecting a prison on some of the most highly sought after property in the state requires an extreme amount of logical gymnastics.

Our organization stands for a future where our community’s voice is heard, and where decisions regarding the penitentiary are made in a manner that prioritizes the well-being and interests of our community. Through advocacy, education, and collaborative efforts, we aim to ensure that our community remains a place of transparency, accountability, and shared decision-making, preserving our way of life while addressing the challenges at hand.

Public Safety

This prison will make our community, the citizens, the school students, and businesses unsafe. From Harrisburg to Canton, Sioux Falls to Worthing, Tea to Lennox and everywhere in between, the negative impact of the proposed mens prison will be significant.

Economic Growth

Aside from not being in Lincoln county’s development roadmap, the prison will stifle our economy, not grow it. Taxes will increase. Homeowners’ property will decrease. Government expenses will skyrocket. The utility infrastructure will become more unstable.

Leadership

There are many reasons Lincoln county is leading the way for South Dakota. Hosting a penitentiary in the heart of South Dakota’s fastest growing community is not one of them.

Join the Fight

There are proper procedures to which every building project, small or large, must adhere. The prison should be required to go through all of the channels for planning and zoning that the citizens must go through on building projects.

No prison should be built without due process. Contact your representatives.

Consider supporting this effort with your finances to aid in legal expenses.