South Dakota State Prisons
6 facilities- SD DOC - G. Norton Jameson Annex
- SD DOC - Mike Durfee State Prison
- SD DOC - Rapid City Minimum Center
- SD DOC - South Dakota State Penitentiary
- SD DOC - South Dakota Women's Prison
Federal Facilities in South Dakota
1 facilitySouth Dakota County Jails
28 facilities- Beadle County Correction Center
- Bon Homme County Jail
- Brookings County Detention Center
- Brown County SD Jail
- Brule County Jail
South Dakota Department of Corrections
South Dakota DOC offender search allows searches by DOC number or name. South Dakota has a relatively small prison system with nine facilities. The state has a significant Native American incarcerated population - approximately 30% of South Dakota inmates are Native American despite comprising about 9% of the state's population.
The official inmate search is available at doc.sd.gov/adult/offenders/search. FCI Yankton is a minimum-security federal facility in South Dakota - known for housing white-collar federal offenders.
Visitation in South Dakota Facilities
South Dakota DOC visitor approval requires a visitor application. Processing takes 2 - 4 weeks. Background checks for adult visitors. South Dakota's vast geography - over 400 miles wide - means some families face very long travel distances.
Always confirm visiting schedules directly with the facility before traveling. Find specific visitation rules on each facility's page in our South Dakota prison directory.
Sending Mail to South Dakota Inmates
South Dakota DOC mail requires the inmate's DOC number. Standard 4x6 photos accepted. South Dakota's small system means relatively straightforward mail policies.
InmateAid delivers letters and photos, postcards, and magazines to South Dakota facilities. Want to receive letters without sharing your home address? Our Letters From Inmates service scans and delivers inmate mail to your account.
Phone Calls from South Dakota Facilities
South Dakota is not currently among the states that offer free inmate phone calls. Securus Technologies holds the South Dakota DOC contract.
Following the FCC's Martha Wright-Reed Order (effective April 6, 2026), per-minute rates for inmate calls are now federally capped at state and federal facilities. Find current carrier and rate information on each facility's page in our South Dakota prison directory.
Sending Money to South Dakota Inmates
Commissary funds let inmates purchase approved items from the facility store. Primary money transfer options for South Dakota:
- JPay (primary for South Dakota DOC)
- Money orders mailed to facility
- Lobby kiosks
See our Send Money guide or navigate to the specific facility page for current provider information.
Reentry Resources in South Dakota
Planning for release is one of the most important things a family can do. These organizations provide support in South Dakota:
- East River Legal Services - Free civil legal help in eastern South Dakota
- Lakota Law Project - Legal advocacy for Native American communities
- Volunteers of America Dakotas - Reentry services across the Dakotas
- South Dakota DOC Reentry - Official reentry programs
Frequently Asked Questions About South Dakota Prisons
What is South Dakota's Native American incarceration issue?
South Dakota has one of the most severe racial disparities in incarceration in the United States. Native Americans make up about 9% of the state's total population but approximately 30% of its prison population - a disparity ratio of roughly 3:1. The Lakota Law Project, ACLU of South Dakota, and multiple academic researchers have documented these disparities extensively. The causes are structural: geographic isolation on reservations with high poverty rates, limited access to legal representation, mandatory minimum sentences, and a history of federal trust violations that left many communities without economic alternatives. Advocates have called for sentencing reform and investment in reservation-based alternatives to incarceration.
What is a DOC number in South Dakota?
Every South Dakota state inmate is assigned a unique DOC number when they enter state custody. It must appear on all mail sent to SDDOC facilities. Find it through the South Dakota DOC offender search at doc.sd.gov. County jail detainees have their own booking numbers that are separate from state DOC numbers - county detainees don't have a state number until they enter state custody after sentencing. Once assigned, the DOC number is permanent for the sentence.
Does South Dakota have free prison phone calls?
No - South Dakota has not eliminated phone call fees. Securus Technologies holds the SDDOC contract. The FCC's April 2026 rate caps apply to interstate calls from South Dakota state facilities, reducing costs from historical highs, but calls are not free. South Dakota's small prison population - about 4,000 state inmates - means there's limited political pressure for phone reform. Set up a Securus prepaid account rather than accepting collect calls.
What is FCI Yankton?
FCI Yankton is a minimum-security federal prison camp in Yankton, South Dakota on the Missouri River about 60 miles southwest of Sioux Falls. It's located on the grounds of a former college campus - the original Dakota Territorial Prison and later Yankton College - and is known for its relatively open campus design. FCI Yankton primarily houses white-collar and nonviolent federal offenders and is the only federal correctional facility in South Dakota. Contact FCI Yankton at 605-665-3262 for visiting information. Use the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov to confirm your federal inmate is at Yankton.
How do I find someone in a South Dakota county jail?
South Dakota has 66 county jails. The SDDOC offender search covers state prison inmates only. Contact the county sheriff's office directly for county detainees. Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls and Pennington County Jail in Rapid City are the largest county facilities. South Dakota's vast geography means some county jails are very remote. Most county sheriff offices maintain online inmate rosters.
Where is South Dakota Women's Prison?
South Dakota Women's Prison is in Pierre - the state capital - in the geographic center of the state on the east bank of the Missouri River. The facility is about 220 miles west of Sioux Falls, 120 miles east of Rapid City, and 75 miles north of the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. SDWP offers programming including GED, adult education, parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, and vocational training. Contact SDWP at 605-773-3269 for visitor application information and current visiting schedules.