South Dakota Inmate Search

The South Dakota corrections and justice system typically include different correctional facilities, including state prisons, county jails, private facilities, federal prisons, and community corrections. An inmate in South Dakota comprises all the data shared or stored regarding each offender in the state's criminal justice system. They are official documents featuring information regarding individuals housed in correctional facilities in South Dakota.  

According to the South Dakota Sunshine Law, inmate records fall under public records in this jurisdiction. Therefore, the general public or interested parties can access or obtain these records from legal custodians upon request. The South Dakota Department of Corrections is generally the primary record custodian of all inmate records in South Dakota. Alternatively, you can request these records from local law enforcement, such as the county sheriff's office or local police department.  

People who obtain inmate records can expect to see the offender's personal and administrative information. Personal information refers to identifying details such as the inmate's full name, aliases, age, gender, date of birth, race, nationality, ethnicity, eye color, hair color, height, weight, tattoos, scars, and defining marks. On the other hand, inmate records contain official data such as the inmate's registration number, arresting agency, booking date and time, criminal history, current charge description, mugshots, fingerprints, custody status, court dates, facility location, bail or bond amount, sentencing information, and maximum release date. 

Conducting an inmate search is quick and simple if you know where to search. Typically, inmate searches depend on the type of facility your loved one is incarcerated at, as follows: 

South Dakota State Prisons 

South Dakota comprises adult and juvenile corrections. The adult corrections system has three primary adult facilities, a prison annex, four community work centers, prison industries, and parole. This includes a juvenile justice system, a youth challenge program, and a juvenile detention center. The South Dakota Department of Corrections provides the safety and custody of all incarcerated offenders in all state-run correctional facilities.  

If you believe your loved one or someone you know is serving time in a state prison, visit the South Dakota DOC's official website. This website has the link to its inmate search tool on its homepage. To proceed to conduct your inmate search, click "Offender Locator." This search tool requires you to submit inmate details in one or more of the following fields: 

• DOC Number 
• Last Name 
• First Name 

Remember, this online database is only applicable to offenders in adult facilities. Juvenile information remains confidential.  

Federal Facilities 

South Dakota has one stand-alone federal prison camp under the North Central Regional Office. FPC Yankton is a minimum security federal prison in Yankton, South Dakota. It houses about 362 incarcerated male inmates. To find out if your loved one is serving time at this facility, visit the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Website. This agency allows you to perform an inmate search using the "Find an Inmate" search tool that offers the following search options: 

• Find By Name 
• Find By Number 

County Jails 

Respective county sheriff's offices operate 26 county jails in South Dakota. County jails typically house detainees awaiting trial and offenders serving short-term sentences of less than a year. Most inmates in county jails are those convicted of less severe crimes, such as misdemeanor offenses.  

Most county jails, like Clay County Jail, provide online access to an inmate roster containing a list of current offenders at the jail facility. Alternatively, the public or interested parties can find out about an inmate by calling the jail or sheriff's office.