SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — During a meeting of the South Dakota Corrections Commission, DOC Secretary Kellie Wasko shared some details on the September 15 lockdown at the state prison in Sioux Falls.
Wasko said that the lockdown was done in order to carry out a full campus search for dangerous contraband, and that during this time, phone services were disabled as needed.
The goal of the search, according to Wasko, was to find “any article, item, or thing that poses or may pose a threat to the security of a SDDOC facility or office.”
A presentation from the DOC notes this can include devices, instruments, materials or substances which are capable of causing or inducing fear of death or bodily injury.
Illicit substances like drugs and alcohol are also counted as contraband.
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Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. -
Photo from the South Dakota Department of Corrections.
The sweep included both the main penitentiary, as well as the Jameson Annex.
Wasko said she had received emails questioning what constituted contraband, and said the DOC reserves the right to identify what contraband is, and it can include tools or items found beyond the areas they would normally be found.
Some specific examples of these Wasko noted were tools such as hammers or screwdrivers, which are tools in the right environment, but contraband outside that environment.
The DOC presentation said items found included homemade weapons, illicit substances, unauthorized electronics and excess property.
Asked about how the discovery of the contraband may translate to prosecutions, Wasko noted that there were some items found in common areas which could not be tied to specific inmates, but that six inmates were directly correlated to contraband found in the sweep.
Wasko said eliminating contraband is a constant process, as new items are produced constantly. Though some items made from metal, plexiglass and fiberglass were found, Wasko declined to say where in the complex the materials were taken from, citing security.
A question about an elevator in the Jameson Annex was also fielded. Wasko read a statement from the design engineer explaining that while there is a structure for an elevator shaft currently used as a closet, there is no pit below it, nor is there the necessary structure on the top of the building for an elevator to actually be installed.
