By: Michael Achterling (Norht Dakota Monitor)
The rehabilitation of female inmates in North Dakota took a large step forward Wednesday as state officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the first prison in state history designed to house women.
The new Heart River Correctional Center in Mandan will be more than 191,500 square feet and includes space for 304 beds. The project is expected to cost $166.8 million and be complete in fall of 2027.
Gov. Kelly Armstong and other state officials joined Colby Braun, director of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Warden Connie Hackman Rivinius for an event that included women who are in custody.
“Today, we take another step toward a justice system that not only ensures public safety, but also provides opportunities for rehabilitation and second chances,” Hackman Rivinius said. “This project represents more than just walls and infrastructure. It symbolizes the commitment to dignity, safety and the possibility of change.”
In 2021, the department shifted some inmates from the primary women’s prison in New England to the Heart River campus in Mandan. More than 50 women now occupy two residence cottages at the site, which also houses a separate juvenile detention center.
The new facility will give female inmates access to more employment and educational services, Braun said.
“It’s about making sure they are supported to leave so they don’t come back again,” Braun said. “This is that beginning stage.”
Lucila Madrigal, one of the women at Heart River, said having staff take an interest in her has made her a better person.
“It makes me want to follow the example they lead, strive to be the best version of myself, be a working member of society and hopefully be a role model for others like me one day,” Madrigal said.
The new women’s prison has been the subject of discussion and division among lawmakers during the legislative session. A bill that would allow the department to begin developing policies for female inmates to have their newborn babies live with them for up to 18 months passed the Senate on a 28-18 vote and the House on a 48-42 vote.
Armstrong announced Wednesday he signed that bill, leading to cheers from the female inmates of Heart River Correctional Center in attendance.
“Being tough on crime doesn’t work,” he said. Armstrong added holding serious offenders accountable is important, but funding for rehabilitation and addressing overcrowding is also a priority.
He said it is the state’s solemn responsibility to give the best care and rehabilitation possible to inmates under their care so they can be better citizens once they leave.
“A good criminal justice system holds people accountable, but it gives them grace and it gives them hope,” said Armstrong, a former criminal defense attorney. “We don’t criminalize people. We criminalize conduct and that is why lady justice is blind. That is why facilities like this matter.”
Braun said many inmates have been through traumatic events, battle addiction issues or may deal with mental health concerns, which is why he believes the prison needs to be a place of restoration.
“It’s about the vocational piece. It’s about learning those skills and it’s all the services around,” Braun said. “Really, this is so much more than just a bed.”
He added the road to the new women’s prison has taken about 40 years, beginning with a single female unit at the State Penitentiary in the 1980s. Prior to that unit, North Dakota contracted with other states to house female inmates.
Later women were housed on a floor of the James River Correctional Center in Jamestown. Lawmakers decided in the 2003 session that female prisoners needed a dedicated facility, which led to the department renovating the former St. Mary’s Catholic School in New England.
“We just turned some doors into locked prison doors and beyond that it was really just using that exact same foundation that was laid out for kids,” said Braun, who was the warden in New England from 2004 to 2010.
The New England facility is still the primary intake point for female inmates. After the new complex opens, the site may shift its focus more toward rehabilitation and minimum security beds, Braun said.
During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers approved $131.2 million for the Heart River Correctional Center. The remaining $35.6 million is under consideration by the House Appropriations Committee after passing the Senate unanimously in February.
Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, said female inmates needed to be closer to services that they couldn’t get in rural southwestern North Dakota. The women will be able to use some of the same services that men receive at the State Penitentiary, which lawmakers hope will lead to better outcomes and lower recidivism, he said.
“New England did the job that it was intended to do,” Nelson said. “Treatment is such a big part of the rehabilitation process and finding treatment personnel in that region is difficult.”
