South Dakota incarcerates residents at a rate of 812 per 100,000 people—placing it among the highest in the world, according to new data from the Prison Policy Initiative. That figure exceeds the incarceration rates of nearly every democratic nation.
Currently, more than 6,500 people are held in South Dakota’s prisons and jails, with another 9,100 under probation or parole supervision. Each year, over 25,000 individuals cycle through local jails, and notably, 73% of those held in jail have not been convicted of a crime.
The report also highlights stark racial disparities with Native Americans incarcerated at nearly seven times the rate of white residents. Additionally, 11% of the prison population is age 55 or older, raising questions about the cost and necessity of incarcerating aging individuals.
The report adds that South Dakota imprisons women at a rate of 338 per 100,000—tripling the national average of 112. That places the state at the top of female incarceration rates nationwide, ahead of Montana and Idaho, which rank second and third. All three states surpass even El Salvador, the country with the highest overall incarceration rate globally.
Earlier this week, Governor Larry Rhoden announced the creation of a task force to address rehabilitation and recidivism.
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