South Dakota Department of Corrections

South Dakota Department of Corrections
Agency overview
Formed July 1989
Preceding agency
  • Board of Charities and Corrections, 1890-1989
Jurisdiction South Dakota
Headquarters Pierre, South Dakota
Annual budget $106,982,478 (2011)
Agency executive
  • Denny Kaemingk, Secretary of Corrections
Parent agency State of South Dakota
Website http://doc.sd.gov/
South Dakota State Penitentiary

The South Dakota Department of Corrections is the agency that operates state prisons in South Dakota. It has its headquarters in Pierre.[1]

Adult prisons

Juvenile corrections

The South Dakota corrections system has the Juvenile Corrections System, its network of juvenile facilities.[3]

The State Treatment and Rehabilitation Academy (STAR Academy) is located in unincorporated Custer County, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Custer on U.S. Highway 385. STAR Evergreen High School serves as the middle and high school for delinquent youth. The STAR campus includes several units.[4] The STAR Admissions Unit processes new arrivals.[5] The Youth Challenge Center and the Patrick H. Brady Academy serve young men.[6][7] The QUEST and Excel programs serve young women.[8][9]

The West Farm in unincorporated Minnehaha County, near Sioux Falls, serves as the juvenile transitional care facility for boys who are about to go back into their communities.[10] STAR Academy and Patrick H Brady Academy closed in April 2016. All juveniles are housed in private placements supervised by Juvenile Community Corrections staff.

Prison Gang Activity

Over the past ten years leading to 2010, prison staff have identified approximately 150 different gangs in South Dakota's State Prisons. Of those, eight are currently active at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. Most have racial allegiances, like the Gangster Disciples, an African American street gang and the Sureños, a Hispanic street gang. Warden Doug Weber told KSFY-TV that two gangs actually formed at the South Dakota State Penitentiary: the Family Brotherhood is an Ayran gang and the Red Brotherhood is a Native American gang.[11]

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the South Dakota Department of Corrections, 4 officers have died in the line of duty, the most recent being Officer Ronald E. "RJ" Johnson.[12] Officer Johnson was killed during an escape attempt from a high-medium security unit of the South Dakota State Penitentiary at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, known colloquially as "The Hill". Three inmates have been convicted of crimes related to the escape attempt. Eric Robert and Rodney Berget received death sentences related to the killing. Robert was executed October 2012. Berget is appealing his sentence. Michael Nordman received a life sentence for crimes related to providing materials to the escapees.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  2. ↑ http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/state-prison-population-hits-record-high/article_dfad5bbc-748f-11e1-8d20-001871e3ce6c.html
  3. ↑ "JUVENILE CORRECTIONS." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ "STAR Academy For youth." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  5. ↑ "STAR Admissions." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Youth Challenge Center." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Patrick H. Brady Academy." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  8. ↑ "QUEST Program." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  9. ↑ "EXCEL." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  10. ↑ "West Farm." South Dakota Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 24, 2010.
  11. ↑ Drew Sandholm. "Inside Prison Gangs", ABC News affiliate KSFY-TV. January 14, 2009. Accessed 12 February 2010.
  12. ↑ The Officer Down Memorial Page
  13. ↑
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