South Dakota's Department of Corrections (SD DOC) uses "restrictive housing" as its primary term for solitary confinement. The state's approach is shaped by an administrative reform initiative at its maximum-security South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP) in Sioux Falls -- a partnership with the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI), funded by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, that produced an 18% reduction in the restrictive housing population and drove SDSP's violent incident rate to its lowest recorded point.
That reform is administrative, not statutory. South Dakota has no law limiting the duration or scope of solitary confinement for adult prisoners. The CJI model established clearer placement criteria, behavior-change focused activities during confinement, structured transition preparation, and an objective behavioral-indicator-based release process. It is a meaningful administrative reform with documented results -- but it can be changed without legislative action.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in South Dakota
SD DOC uses "restrictive housing" as its official term, also referred to internally as "administrative segregation." The primary facility for restrictive housing is:
South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP): The main maximum-security adult correctional facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. SDSP is the focus of the CJI restrictive housing reform work and the primary site where long-term solitary confinement has been documented.
Jameson Annex: An annex facility adjacent to SDSP.
Mike Durfee State Prison (MDSP): A medium-security facility in Springfield.
Missouri River Correctional Center (MRCC): A minimum-security facility in Yankton.
Restrictive housing is most concentrated at SDSP. SD DOC's website on restrictive housing links directly to the CJI reform report as the defining document for its approach.
The CJI Reform at South Dakota State Penitentiary
With funding from the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) partnered with SD DOC to develop and implement a plan for reshaping restrictive housing at SDSP. The CJI's "Model for Reshaping Restrictive Housing" guided the work.
Key documented results:
- 18% reduction in SDSP's restrictive housing population.
- SDSP's violent incident rate fell to its lowest recorded point.
The model operates on four core principles:
Appropriate placements: Placement decisions into restrictive housing are made through a fair and objective process -- not as a default response to any rule violation.
Behavior-change focus: Activities and interactions during a person's restrictive housing placement are designed to produce behavior change, not passive isolation.
Transition preparation: People in restrictive housing are actively prepared for their return to general population rather than held until the end of a fixed sentence with no preparation.
Fair release process: The decision to retain or release someone from restrictive housing is fair, objective, and based on behavioral indicators -- not on administrative convenience or automatic time-based criteria.
Supporting infrastructure: The reform included clear policies and procedures, professional standards benchmarking, staff engagement and training, performance measurement, and ongoing technical assistance.
What Current Policy Looks Like
SD DOC's administrative policies (informed by the CJI reform) govern restrictive housing placements. Types include:
Administrative Segregation: Non-punitive placement for safety or security reasons, without a prior hearing. For people who pose a threat or danger to themselves, staff, other inmates, or facility security.
Disciplinary Segregation: Post-hearing punitive isolation for rule violations, with a defined sanction term.
Protective Custody: Separation for the person's own safety.
Under the CJI-reformed model, placement decisions are subject to objective criteria, behavior-change programming is provided during placement, and release from restrictive housing is tied to behavioral indicators.
SD DOC's online description of its restrictive housing approach links to the CJI report as its primary documentation.
No Statutory Protections
South Dakota has no statute:
- Limiting the duration of restrictive housing.
- Requiring minimum out-of-cell time.
- Prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in restrictive housing.
- Mandating public reporting on restrictive housing use.
- Requiring vulnerable population exclusions.
All protections in South Dakota's system are administrative and can be changed without legislative action.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in restrictive housing at a South Dakota state prison:
Find where your person is housed. SD DOC provides an offender search at doc.sd.gov. This confirms current facility and housing status.
Contact the facility. For SDSP (Sioux Falls), contact facility administration through doc.sd.gov. For other facilities, contact administrative staff directly. Ask for your person's housing category (administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, or protective custody), the reason for placement, the start date, and the behavioral pathway to release.
Know the reform model. The CJI reform at SDSP established that release from restrictive housing should be based on behavioral indicators -- not purely automatic time-based criteria. Ask what behavioral criteria your person needs to meet to be released from restrictive housing and whether they are receiving programming designed to help them meet those criteria.
Ask about transition preparation. The CJI model requires active preparation for return to general population. Ask what transition preparation your person is receiving and what the current step-down pathway looks like.
Document conditions and duration. Note your person's placement start date, daily out-of-cell time, programming access, mental health contacts, and behavioral reviews. South Dakota has no statutory minimum for any of these; documentation matters.
File a grievance. SD DOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for denial of programming, failure to provide behavioral transition preparation, denial of mental health care, or conditions that fall below SD DOC's policy standards.
Contact the ACLU of South Dakota. The ACLU of SD (aclusd.org) monitors SD DOC conditions and may be able to provide referrals and advocacy support.
Seek legal help. If your person has been in restrictive housing for an extended period without behavioral programming, without transition preparation, or without the objective review process promised by the CJI-reformed model, or if serious mental illness is not being addressed, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with South Dakota federal courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in SD prisons?
SD DOC uses "restrictive housing" and "administrative segregation" as its primary terms. Types include administrative segregation (non-punitive, without prior hearing), disciplinary segregation (post-hearing punitive, defined term), and protective custody. The primary restrictive housing facility is South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP) in Sioux Falls.
What is the SDSP restrictive housing reform model?
A partnership between SD DOC and the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI), funded by the DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance, to reshape restrictive housing at SDSP using CJI's four-principle model: appropriate placement through fair/objective process; behavior-change focused activities during placement; active transition preparation for return to general population; and fair/objective behavioral-indicator-based release decisions. Results: 18% reduction in restrictive housing population and SDSP's violent incident rate fell to its lowest recorded point.
What are conditions like in SD restrictive housing?
Under the CJI-reformed model at SDSP: placement decisions are made objectively; programming during placement focuses on behavior change; transition preparation is required before release; and release decisions are based on behavioral indicators. SD DOC has no publicly disclosed minimum out-of-cell time standard. No statutory minimum conditions exist for South Dakota adult state prison restrictive housing.
How long can someone stay in solitary in South Dakota?
South Dakota has no statute limiting the duration of restrictive housing. Administrative segregation is non-punitive and open-ended with periodic review. Disciplinary segregation has a defined term set at the hearing. Under the CJI model, release from administrative segregation is based on behavioral indicators rather than automatic time limits, which means the pathway to release is tied to demonstrated behavior change and transition preparation.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in SD?
South Dakota has no statute specifically prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in restrictive housing. The CJI model at SDSP emphasizes appropriate placement through objective criteria, which may reduce inappropriate placements of people with mental illness -- but this is an administrative practice rather than a legal protection.
Does SD have a law limiting solitary confinement?
No. South Dakota's restrictive housing framework is entirely administrative, shaped by SD DOC policy and the CJI reform model. No statute sets duration limits, minimum out-of-cell time, prohibited populations, or public reporting requirements. All current protections can be changed by administrative decision.
What is the CJI Model for Reshaping Restrictive Housing?
The Crime and Justice Institute's model is a DOJ-funded framework for administrative reform of solitary confinement. Applied at SDSP, it operates on four principles: appropriate placement via fair and objective process; activities during placement geared toward behavior change; preparation for transition back to general population; and fair, objective release decisions based on behavioral indicators. The model is supported by clear policies, staff training, performance measurement, and technical assistance.
Which prisons in South Dakota have restrictive housing?
The primary restrictive housing facility is South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP), the maximum-security prison in Sioux Falls, which was the focus of the CJI reform effort. The Jameson Annex is adjacent to SDSP. Mike Durfee State Prison (MDSP) is in Springfield (medium-security). Missouri River Correctional Center (MRCC) is in Yankton (minimum-security). Restrictive housing is most concentrated at SDSP.
Can families visit someone in SD restrictive housing?
Visiting is typically restricted during restrictive housing. Contact the specific SD DOC facility directly to confirm current visiting rules before traveling. SDSP is in Sioux Falls; MDSP is in Springfield; MRCC is in Yankton. SD DOC facility contact information is at doc.sd.gov. Written mail generally retains stronger protections than phone or visits during restrictive housing.
What can families do if someone is in SD solitary?
Use SD DOC's offender search at doc.sd.gov to find your person. Contact the facility to confirm housing category (administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, or protective custody), start date, and behavioral pathway to release. Know the CJI model's behavioral-indicator-based release process -- ask what criteria your person needs to meet. Document conditions, programming access, and mental health contacts. File grievances for policy violations. Contact the ACLU of South Dakota (aclusd.org) for advocacy support and referrals. ---