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ciate professor of economics with Augustana College. "I would suspect that that plays a significant role. You need to remember, one-eighth of the population of South Dakota continues to depend on food stamps for their daily bread."
• Retired University of South Dakota economics professor Ralph Brown told the newspaper that farm income rose 102 percent in South Dakota last year while nonfarm income rose 5.7 percent.
• At the same time, Census figures show the poverty rate for the state was 14.5 percent, or about 1 in 7 residents.
• We are pleased that the state's No. 1 industry is doing so well in these trying times. And don't forget, South Dakota remains a pretty nice place to live, no matter how much you make. Still, the next time someone tells you that the data shows South Dakotans are among the well-to-do, just remember what Twain said.
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• Aberdeen American News. Dec. 6, 2012.
• It's time for South Dakota to re-evaluate its incarceration strategy
• In 1977, South Dakota's prison population was 546. In 34 years, it has increased more than six-fold to 3,600 inmates. Our incarceration rate is the highest in a six-state area.
• From a purely financial point of view, our prison system is costing taxpayers far too much money. And we're not talking just the cost of housing and supervising inmates. There are the hidden costs associated with imprisonment. If the inmate was a family breadwinner, loss of that income could press the family into public welfare.
• Because our facilities are quickly becoming overcrowded, building two new facilities, one for women and one for men, is looming on the horizon.
• Taking finances out of the picture, advanced societies do not build more prisons, but build stronger families and communities.
• By placing the locus of control over minor offenders at county level, the guilty person remains in his or her community. And the dollars spent to rehabilitate the offender also remain in the community.
• It wasn't that long ago when people guilty of smoking a single marijuana cigarette were given a five-year sentence. More realistic sentencing needs to be a high priority. Is an inmate less likely to reoffend if he serves 12 months in prison rather than eight?
• The purpose of prison is retribution, prevention and protection for society. Put the violent offenders where they belong. Offer treatment options for the rest.
• Does this mean that we have more crime than other states? Not by a long shot. What it means is that we need to re-evaluate how we are reforming our scofflaws.

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