Gov. Kristi Noem fires South Dakota prison wardens as scrutiny of corrections staff grows
The South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources continues to lead an investigation into low morale among corrections employees following an anonymous complaint about low pay, shoddy equipment and sexual harassment. Written By: Christopher Vondracek | ×
The South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is pictured here in a Google Maps screenshot from September 2019. (Submitted / Google)
PIERRE, S.D. Two top wardens overseeing the Sioux Falls prison have been fired, and the director of an inmate-employing manufacturing service is on leave, according to a statement from the office of Gov. Kristi Noem on Thursday, July 15.
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Secretary of Corrections Mike Leidholt and State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young are on leave following a human resources investigation into an anonymous complaint. Governor Kristi Noem made the move on Tuesday.
“My top priority as governor is keeping South Dakotans safe, and that includes the men and women who work at the State Penitentiary and those who are confined there,” said Governor Noem in a release.
“There have been many instances where [Officers In Charge] have taken advantage of their position by attempting to persuade employees sexually,” the complaint says. “Many of these instances have ben taken to the chain of command, only to be completely ignored. The sexual harassment for one individual may stop, but they just move on to the next.”
SDPB
Secretary of Corrections Mike Leidholt and State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young are on leave following a human resources investigation into an anonymous complaint. Governor Kristi Noem made the move on Tuesday.
This and more in today’s SDPB News Podcast. Find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.
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