2 weeks Ago
North Dakota state and corrections officials broke ground Wednesday for a new women's prison in Mandan that aims to replace an aging facility south of Dickinson and address inmate care concerns. During a ceremony held at the Heart River Correctional Center, Gov. Kelly Armstrong called the project historic and much-needed.
"This is the first time in our state's 135-year history we're breaking ground on a facility specifically designed for women," Armstrong said. "This project is about more than bricks and mortar. It's more spaces for volunteers.
It's more spaces for programs, treatment, vocational and career development, safer staff and safer inmates. Programming for women's unique needs, addressing trauma that many have experienced, staying connected to and reconnecting with family." The 192,500-square-foot facility will be built adjacent to the Heart River Correctional Center, a minimum-security campus.
It was initially approved during the 2023 legislative session to replace the existing women's prison in New England, a medium- and maximum-security prison, about 25 miles south of Dickinson. Upon completion, it will have 304 beds, which is 178 more than the New England facility. Colby Braun, director of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the facility's design is centered around the principals of not only incarceration, but of safety, dignity and the unique needs of women in corrections.
North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Colby Braun speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Heart River Correctional Center in Mandan on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. "It acknowledges that many of the women who come through our doors have experienced significant trauma in their lives. To break the cycle of harm, we must first offer pathways to healing, accountability and transformation," he said.
Braun took note of the recent passage of Senate Bill 2352 that allows DOCR to create a new space within the prison where incarcerated mothers and their newborns can remain together. "A critical part of the vision is the ability for women to maintain meaningful connections with their children," he said. "This is an investment, not just in rehabilitation, but it's in the future of families.
" Former Gov. Doug Burgum has previously said while supporting the project that the state was at risk for legal action, considering what’s offered at the penitentiary for men in Bismarck and what’s available for women in New England. The state had to defend itself in a 2003 class-action lawsuit claiming unequal treatment of women inmates, until the legal action was dismissed six years later.
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Heart River Correctional Center, the state's new women's correctional facility in Mandan, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Legislators two years ago approved funding of more than $161 million with a one-time appropriation of $131.
2 million from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund, or SIIF, money raised in part through oil and gas extraction and production taxes. The remaining $30 million, according to reporting in the Tribune at the time, was intended to come through an appropriation made during the current session. That appropriation, currently totaling more than $35 million, is included in the budget bill for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation currently being considered by the House Appropriations Committee.
If approved, the bill will require a second reading in the House before potential passage in that chamber. From there, the budget bill will be retuned to the Senate for additional consideration before making its way to Gov. Kelly Armstrong's desk.
Construction is estimated to last until fall 2027. Right now, most of the state’s female inmates are housed at the Dakota Women’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Center, in an old Catholic school not intended to house inmates. Supporters of the new facility say it will provide improved housing conditions.
It will also provide better access to services including drug and alcohol treatment, mental health issues and OB-GYN care. DOCR inmate Tia Gomez said having the new facility closer to services will be a huge benefit to future inmates. That sentiment was shared by fellow inmate Lucilla Madrigal.
"I have confidence in the many women who will achieve successes through the new women's prison," Madrigal said. Once the new prison is completed, the current women's facility could be used for other purposes, according to DOCR. Reach Brad Nygaard at 701-250-8260 or Brad.
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