No state that borders South Dakota has publicly confirmed a lethal overdose in a state prison in 2025.

South Dakota has reported eight.

Most of the suspected or confirmed overdose deaths are thought too be tied to a synthetic drug known as K2, which typically arrives in prisons on sheets of paper soaked with the chemical and dried out for smoking.That’s how the drug has appeared in South Dakota’s prisons in each of the three K2 overdoses that have drawn criminal charges so far this year through the office of Attorney General Marty Jackley, who said Friday that another set of charges are pending for a similar case.

South Dakota’s outsized prison death count extends beyond overdoses, and more than half the deaths have been preventable. With 25 total in-custody deaths for the year, the state outpaces every neighbor but Iowa, which has logged 29 deaths for an inmate population more than twice the size of South Dakota’s.

Death certificates for four of the South dakota inmates list suicide as the manner of death. Another suspected suicide remains under examination.

Most of the details released publicly on the overdose deaths has come from Jackley’s office. The state Department of Corrections has offered few details.

The department declined to offer responses to several security related inquiries from South Dakota Searchlight in recent weeks. The agency has also declined requests for an interview with former Iowa prison administrator Nick Lamb, who began his work as corrections secretary for South Dakota in mid-November after the resignation of his predecessor, Kellie Wasko.

Changing formulations, changing dangers

Lamb told the Corrections Commission earlier this month that South Dakota is “no different” from other states in terms of its struggle with K2.

Three correctional officers at Anamosa State Penitentiary in Iowa were reportedly treated for exposure to K2-coated paper a few months ago.

Denny Kaemingk, a former corrections secretary for South Dakota who now serves as a consultant for a security company, said he hears horror stories about K2 from prison officials all over the U.S.

Kaemingk said he’s confident in Lamb, based on the new secretary’s years of service in multiple states.

Synthetic Drugs Fuel Crisis Within south Dakota Prisons

South Dakota’s state prisons are grappling with a surge in inmate deaths linked to synthetic drugs, despite efforts to curb their entry. At least eight inmates died in 2025 from suspected overdoses, prompting investigations and criminal charges. The issue isn’t new,with the state facing similar challenges for years,but the recent spike has intensified scrutiny of security measures and potential staff involvement.

The Department of Corrections halted in-person visits in Sioux Falls as Father’s Day, partially due to concerns about visitors smuggling drugs into facilities. however, four additional suspected drug-related deaths occurred after the visitation ban was implemented.

Former South Dakota penitentiary warden doug Weber cautions against solely blaming contact visits,noting the ingenuity of smuggling methods. Drugs are introduced through body cavities, thrown over walls, delivered by drones, or brought in with the assistance of volunteers, medical staff, or even food deliveries. Weber also highlighted the use of extortion,where threats are leveraged against family members or careers to coerce individuals into participating in smuggling operations.

weber criticized the previous Secretary of Corrections’ reliance on lockdowns, arguing they can worsen security issues by increasing inmate frustration. He advocated for daily cell sweeps and targeted efforts to identify and dismantle trafficking networks, strategies employed during his tenure as warden.

Investigations have revealed allegations of collusion between inmates and prison staff. Attorney General Marty Jackley announced indictments for drug trafficking earlier in the year, including charges against former correctional officer Carson DeYoung for supplying K2 in September. Further charges were filed in December against another inmate and a former prison employee related to one of the fatal overdoses.

South Dakota Prisons Face Rising Overdose Deaths

South Dakota’s state prisons are seeing a troubling increase in inmate deaths, particularly from suspected drug overdoses. So far this year, 25 inmates have died, with eight deaths linked to drugs.

Officials are working to stop drugs from entering facilities, but it’s a constant battle. Scanners aren’t perfect,and inmates are always finding new ways to smuggle contraband.

“We’ve got people who spend every minute of every day,” said Warden Milstead, “trying to find the most creative ways to get illegal drugs in.”