AG's office bringing criminal charges in response to March prison protest

Attorney General Marty Jackley will announce charging decisions Tuesday

Multiple inmates at the South Dakota State Penitentiary will face criminal charges in response to a riot that took place last month at the facility.

That’s according to information provided by the Attorney General’s Office Monday, which said that Attorney General Marty Jackley will announce charging decisions at a press conference Tuesday morning in Sioux Falls.

Jackley told The Dakota Scout the day after the unrest that his Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) would work with Department of Corrections (DOC) officers to establish what happened during the riot, specifically whether certain inmates were responsible for inciting the action, causing harm to other inmates, guards or property at the Sioux Falls facility.

“The difficulty and dangers of the job requires swift actions by authorities,” Jackley said in March. “By taking these matters seriously, it sends the right message to inmates and helps protect those who are just there trying to do their time.”

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Off-duty correctional officers were called into work on the afternoon of March 27 to respond to unrest in the prison’s East Hall over a decision by DOC officials to remove access to electronic tablets, which allow inmates to make contact with people outside of the facility. Gov. Kristi Noem told The Scout that the tablets were being used for “illegal activity.” Inmates could be heard chanting for access to tablets from outside of the facility, while refusing to return to their cells. Correctional officers were injured during the demonstration, including one who was taken to a local hospital.

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Several hours later, order was restored at the prison, though prisoners continued to demonstrate opposition to the policy in the days to follow.

The Attorney General’s Office declined to specify Monday how many charges would be handed down, or exactly how many inmates could be facing legal action.

During a 1993 riot at the state penitentiary that led to $2.5 million in property damages, three inmates were indicted for their conduct.

“Having a swift and firm message that you can’t harm guards and law enforcement officers is something the public wants and expects, and it is how we approach these type of cases,” Jackley continued.