State officials have confirmed the deaths of two inmates in South Dakota prisons over the holiday weekend, prompting investigations by authorities.
Ray Jackson, 21, was found dead on November 28 from an apparent suicide while serving time in state prison. Jackson had been sentenced in Yankton County for fourth-degree rape and possession of a controlled substance.
Just a day earlier, on November 27, 37-year-old Larry Franklin died at the Jameson Prison in Sioux Falls. Franklin was serving sentences from Minnehaha County for aggravated assault and simple assault on law enforcement. His death is under investigation by the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General.
The Department of Corrections has not released further details about the circumstances surrounding either death.
Twenty-two men have now died in Department of Corrections custody in calendar year 2025, the highest figure in recent memory. Of that number, 8 are suspected to be drug overdoses while four died by suicide and others died of natural causes.
Comments