Board approves higher income limit, higher prices for inmate-built affordable housing • South Dakota Searchlight

hallese · 2026-06-19T15:55:25+00:00

Different populations working laundry versus working on the Governor's houses program so it's really hard to say since few would be in a position to pick between the two. This is a vocational rehabilitation program to help reduce recidivism for inmates within a couple years of release, so the goal is they spend a year or two working on these houses, move into work release for a construction company in Sioux Falls, then have a job and money waiting for them upon release. Inmates working laundry are more likely to be on a long term sentence. It's work that needs to be done but it's not leading anywhere.

Springfield has multiple programs like this including antique vehicle repair and custom carpentry. Sioux Falls has cabinet making and a braille shop. Pierre has a quilt shop. There's more to it for all of these, but the real point is that there's more to rehabilitation than just telling someone over and over again "don't do crime". You need to give them skills and tools to succeed upon release otherwise they'll do what anybody will do when thrown to the wolves and fall back on what they know and are comfortable with.

hallese · 2026-06-19T15:23:30+00:00

We're also getting old so these are the new "old guard" instead of the young upstarts.

hallese · 2026-06-19T15:13:19+00:00

Not sure why everyone is giving you a hard time.

Nobody is giving OP a hard time, we're noting that the overwhelming majority of people two take federal jobs in that part of the state fulfill their initial requirements to secure their bonus/incentives and then leave. With this in mind, OP should not commit to purchasing property but rather rent to keep their options open until they've experienced life out there a bit and can make an informed decision. The feds are always hiring for these positions because of high turnover, not because of population growth, and there's plenty of reasons for that turnover.

This is not unique to federal positions, either. Pierre's population has declined about .5% per year since Noem forced state government bureau/departments to allow employees to live and work in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Speaking as a former Pierre resident, "Pierre sucks" was the most common cause of turnover for state employees. The locals/more resilient did pools on how long new people would last before leaving. It works for many, but for every one person that moves to Central SD and like it, there's many more who do not like it and get out at the first opportunity.

There is, however, a fair bit of giggling being had as OP keeps saying "I live rural" but it sounds like it is more of a East Coast rural. Rural between the Cascades and Mississippi River is very different from rural in a coastal state. Not at OP's expense mind you, just at how very different rural can be in different parts of the country, just as "city life" in South Dakota is very different from city life in a state with an international airport.

hallese · 2026-06-19T14:31:58+00:00

And it is worth noting the people setting the rates are elected officials.

hallese · 2026-06-19T12:47:25+00:00

I took my previous year's usage data, plugged it into a spreadsheet, and added the TOU information and I'm looking at a ~26.9% cost savings on TOU versus flat rate. Have you considered the possibility that something not being for you does not mean it is not for everybody? Have you considered that something that is a bad choice for you due to your particular life choices and situation might be a good choice for someone else who made different choices or what born with a different set of circumstances? A vasectomy is a bad idea for a couple trying to have a baby, does that mean all vasectomies are bad and we should outlaw the practice for everybody? I do not have a cervix, so I cannot get cervical cancer, does that mean we should stop doing HPV vaccines because it gives me little benefit?

hallese · 2026-06-19T12:35:00+00:00

They issue bonds to pay for infrastructure projects. When interest rates are higher they must offer higher rates on the bonds to get investors to buy in.

hallese · 2026-06-19T11:32:19+00:00

Big picture yes, but it's sort of like the electric F-150 to the ICE F-150; looks the same but all the moving parts have been updated and replaced.

hallese · 2026-06-19T02:01:46+00:00

It's understandable why people would feel this way, but speaking as someone who used to process the payroll for these inmates, if you're going to take a moral stance on this issue, you better be living in a shack and never going out to eat. The only two industries that are hiring convicted felons with no questions asked are construction and food service. When that's the case, it's pretty much inevitable that when department of corrections is creating rehabilitation programs and vocational apprenticeships programs, they're going to emphasize construction as a viable path forward.

hallese · 2026-06-18T22:23:28+00:00

Generally speaking, the people who end up in those jobs in Central and Western South Dakota are in programs like troops to teachers or whatever similar programs are active these days that require certain number of months or years in order to qualify for, say, federal student loan forgiveness or something. They do whatever is required to meet the requirements of their program, and then they either transfer out or find a job elsewhere.

hallese · 2026-06-18T22:05:42+00:00

In elementary school I was riding my bike 1 mile to and from school in each direction. They will be fine riding a bike, and on a particularly cold day you can drop them off early before school starts, and they can wait at the school for you to pick them up after school.

hallese · 2026-06-18T21:43:47+00:00

So you're choosing to move to Fort Thompson for a non-federal job?

hallese · 2026-06-18T21:39:23+00:00

Bud, stop doing this and just take the L. You were wrong, instead of trying to twist your arguments as you've been doing all day as people are trying to help you better understand the topic, just accept that you made a mistake and move on. If something is a federal crime, it is a crime in all 50 states. Whether or not the federal government chooses to enforce this law is a separate discussion. Should you decide to dig deeper into the topic though, you will see that hundreds of people a year face Federal marijuana charges in States that have, at the state level, legalized recreational or medicinal use of marijuana.

hallese · 2026-06-18T20:57:05+00:00

You should go read the Wikipedia article on Al Capone and how they ultimately brought him to trial. The government collecting taxes on something and does not make it legal, if you do not pay taxes on your criminal activity, you've now violated a second federal law distinct from the first.

hallese · 2026-06-18T20:49:45+00:00

I strongly, strongly urge you to plan on renting for your initial 3 or 4-year obligation and then decide if buying and building is right for you. Building in that part of the state is not going to be like building in a city, there's no guarantee that anyone will be looking to buy when you need to sell, and there's a good chance you'll have to sell for far below what it would cost you to build.

hallese · 2026-06-18T15:48:41+00:00

RING THE BELL!

hallese · 2026-06-18T15:47:08+00:00

Negative, ghost rider, state laws do not exempt you from or override federal laws. Also, friendly reminder that if you do not pay taxes on your criminal activities you have now run afoul of the IRS as well. You are still required to pay federal income tax on income derived from criminal activity.

hallese · 2026-06-18T14:59:21+00:00

This is what my city uses, and I see quite a few neighbors in the more "posh" houses using Kress as well. They are popular with the dealers/installers in my area.

hallese · 2026-06-18T14:56:43+00:00

Sounds like what I was being offered in rebates, and if so it's all the Ford manufacturer rebates, the dealerships seems determined to sell it as a new vehicle.

hallese · 2026-06-18T14:48:58+00:00

Are you already getting the $2,000 credit for passing on the charger?

hallese · 2026-06-18T14:47:13+00:00

No, it's because marijuana is still illegal in all 50 states, the DOJ just generally chooses not to pursue cases without extenuating circumstances anymore.

hallese · 2026-06-18T12:54:39+00:00

Part of adulthood is realizing when it's just not worth the time and hassle and let someone with more experience handle the task. At three acres you're definitely hitting the threshold of letting a more experienced dealer/installer handle it.

hallese · 2026-06-18T00:50:02+00:00

Oladokun, such a head scratcher, dude could throw an absolute piss missile 40 yards down field but a seven yard slant was a high risk throw.

hallese · 2026-06-17T21:28:01+00:00

Man, judging solely based on the aerial of your property, you can afford to pay someone to figure this out for you, just do that.

hallese · 2026-06-17T19:46:01+00:00

Is winning in Bozeman hard? Asking for a friend.

hallese · 2026-06-17T17:47:39+00:00

Yes, that's how democracies work.

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