Rates of Incarceration in South Dakota

The South Dakota prison system housed about 3,651 prisoners per day according to recent statistics. Based on those numbers, the state incarcerated 428 people per 100,000 living in the state. South Dakota was about 8 percent higher than the national average rate of incarceration, which locked up 395 people per 100,000.

According to the National Institute of Corrections, the crime rate in South Dakota in 2013 was about 27 percent lower than the rate for the country. The citizens in South Dakota experienced 2,232 crimes for every 100,000 people while the national average was 3,047.

Violent crimes were also below the national average with 317 committed in South Dakota, compared to 349 nationally.

TELL US: How Do You Feel About Voting Rights for Convicted Felons?

At the end of 2013, the prison population in South Dakota was 3,651, and annual growth rates (measured between 2000 and 2003) were estimated at 3.1 percent, according to a report from the United States Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The average growth rate in the U.S. for the same period was about 1.8 percent.

Compared to neighboring states, South Dakota's incarceration rates are very high, while its crimes are low.

Based on events per 100,000 people, South Dakota's 2,232 crimes is close to North Dakota's 2,364 while other neighboring states see slightly higher rates, except for Minnesota. Rates of these states include Wyoming, 2,403; Iowa, 2,465; Montana, 2,810; Nebraska, 2,885; and Minnesota, 6,554.

In contrast, South Dakota's incarceration rate tops its neighbors at 428 per 100,000 residents.

VOTE NOW: Is South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds Doing a Good Job?

The next highest rates come from Wyoming at 395, Montana at 357, Iowa at 279, Nebraska at 263, North Dakota at 211, and Minnesota at 189.

Perhaps high incarceration rates correlate with low crime rates as demonstrated by the high South Dakota and Minnesota rankings in each category.

According to the American Legislative Exchange Council, South Dakota spent $102,367,429 annually to support the Department of Corrections, and the average per inmate cost was nearly $17,000 per year.

The average sentence was about 36 months per prisoner, with men having served about 20 months while women served 14 months in South Dakota prisons.

The South Dakota DOC operates six facilities, employing about 850 people.

VOTE NOW: Do You Think Convicted Felons Should Be Allowed to Vote?

Related Stories:

• South Dakota Gun Laws: Can Visitors Carry Their Firearm?
• What Is Average Salary of a Police Officer in South Dakota?