Latest news with #DepartmentofCorrections
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative group studies SD's high incarceration rate, overrepresentation of Indigenous prisoners
Linsey Sapp, who wears an "Inmate Rights" shirt and whose husband is incarcerated, speaks to lawmakers at an Initial Incarceration, Reentry Analysis, and Comparison of Relevant States Interim Committee meeting in Sioux Falls on June 24, 2025. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) SIOUX FALLS — The overrepresentation of Native Americans in state prisons, a lack of rehabilitation programming, and a need for more intervention to keep people out of prison are the biggest issues flagged by members of South Dakota's legislative recidivism and rehabilitation committee. The group held its first meeting Tuesday at the University of South Dakota's Sioux Falls campus. The committee is tasked with analyzing the makeup of the prison population, comparing incarceration rates and sentencing laws in similar states, and identifying barriers to inmates' reintegration into society. South Dakota has the nation's 15th-highest incarceration rate, according to The Sentencing Project. Forty-three percent of adult offenders in South Dakota return to prison within three years of release, according to 2023 statistics from the state Department of Corrections. Some lawmakers who voted in February against funding to build an $825 million men's prison said the state should be investing more into rehabilitation programs to reduce its prison population. Lawmakers on the recidivism and rehabilitation committee may propose bills and funding recommendations during the next legislative session. Some members of the committee also sit on the governor's Project Prison Reset committee, which is searching for a location to build a new prison at a cost up to $600 million. Mitchell Republican Rep. Jeff Bathke is the former director of substance abuse programs for the state Department of Corrections and a member of the recidivism and rehabilitation committee. He hopes the group will dig further into rehabilitation and behavioral health programming to understand existing programs and their efficacy. 'Right now, we're just a warehouse. We warehouse people,' Bathke told South Dakota Searchlight after the meeting. 'Then they come back because we did nothing as a community to help them.' The first meeting supported his belief that the state should hire a consultant to better evaluate the prison system and make recommendations to policy and programming. The state has hired a consultant to study prison construction needs, and that consultant said strict sentencing laws are among the factors driving prison population growth. 'This is a severely damaged system,' Bathke said. 'But it can be great. It can be the best program in the nation, with some changes.' Native Americans account for nearly 40% of the state's prison inmates. They account for about 9% of the state's overall population, according to a presentation from the Legislative Research Council. That statistic is 'alarming,' said Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, during the meeting. Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Greg Jamison, who co-chairs the committee, told lawmakers he believes the overrepresentation is one of the 'biggest issues' facing the committee. The disparity of Native Americans in the prison system has persisted for decades. Bathke added that offenders sentenced in federal court after crimes on tribal land aren't accounted for in the state data. 'It is way worse than what these numbers actually show,' Bathke said. South Dakota's disparity is higher than similar states analyzed by the committee: Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Legislative staff compared the states' prison populations because they share economic and demographic similarities. Jamison said he hopes to connect with tribal leaders this summer to hear their suggestions for addressing the problem. South Dakota also has the third highest female incarceration rate in the nation, according to The Sentencing Project. Nearly two-thirds of incarcerated women in the state are Native American, and about half of their worst offenses are drug-related. North Dakota has the lowest prison population in the four-state comparison presented to the committee, at under 2,000 inmates, along with the lowest incarceration rate and lowest female incarceration rate. 'We're going to have to dig into North Dakota a bit,' Jamison said. Several lawmakers and members of the public raised concerns about rehabilitation programming — both the quality of programs and the number of programs available to inmates. A Department of Corrections employee was not on hand to answer lawmaker questions. Leaders of a company that trained and employed maximum security inmates at the state penitentiary for two decades said they were pushed out of the prison system by administrators last year, although administrators said the company left voluntarily to avoid adhering to newer, stricter security protocols. Gov. Larry Rhoden announced this week his administration will use economic development dollars from the state's Future Fund to start a diesel mechanic training program in the metal shop's former space. Linsey Sapp, whose husband is incarcerated, told lawmakers during public comment that the lack of classes and programming is a serious concern, especially if inmates are spending '23 hours a day' in their cells. 'Rehabilitation is important, and we are failing,' she said. Tracii Barse, a Native American business owner who introduced himself as a seven-time felon to lawmakers, said mentorship during and after a prison sentence is necessary to successfully reintegrate inmates into society. He suggested policy changes to allow ex-inmates to come into the prison to teach classes or mentor current inmates. While there are several volunteers who mentor, former prisoners better understand inmates' history and challenges, he said. Barse finds it ironic that he's allowed to enter a school to mentor children, despite his background, but he can't use that same experience and connection to help inmates. Sen. Tamara Grove, R-Lower Brule, encouraged lawmakers on the committee to explore the path that leads a person to prison and reasons why people reoffend. In better understanding those areas, the state can intervene, deter and help people while they're in their home, she added. Doing so would be cheaper, healthier, and keep a community intact — especially given the number of Native Americans removed from their communities due to incarceration, Grove said. Grove, along with Sen. Kevin Jensen, R-Canton, discussed the possibility of removing a person's felony conviction from their record for certain crimes after an amount of time or after rehabilitation, to help with reintegration and recidivism. Felons are not allowed to live in certain neighborhoods, can't have some jobs and can't own a gun. 'I think, at some point, it has to be where the person has paid for their crime and they move back to wholeness in whatever way that looks,' Grove said. 'I think that's a really big part of re-entry.' The committee's next meeting will be held in July in the Rapid City area. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Rapist and killer executed on death row 30 years after crimes
Thomas Lee Gudinas, 51, was killed by lethal injection, more than 30 years after he raped and killed a woman. A killer was put to death on death row today - over 30 years after he raped and murdered a woman. Thomas Lee Gudinas, 51, expressed remorse just moments before receiving the lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Gudinas passed away within 14 minutes of the injection, becoming the seventh individual to be executed in Florida this year alone. His final utterances were largely unintelligible, but Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, stated that the sex offender repented and made a reference to Jesus. Following the administration of the drugs, Gudinas' eyes began to roll back and he experienced minor chest convulsions. His face lost colour and became motionless after several minutes. Gudinas was found guilty in 1995 of the rape and murder of Michelle McGrath. The court heard that the young woman's body, bearing signs of severe trauma and sexual assault, was discovered in an alleyway near a school in the early hours of May 24, 1994, reports the Mirror. It is believed that Gudinas encountered Ms McGrath in or outside a bar in Orlando, Florida, just minutes prior to the horrific attack. An eighth execution is planned in Florida in July. The state also executed six individuals in 2023, but only carried out one execution last year. A total of 24 men have been executed in the US this year, with scheduled executions set to make 2025 the year with the most executions since 2015. Florida has been at the forefront of applying the death penalty this year, eclipsing other states like Texas and South Carolina, both of which are tied for second place with four executions each. Alabama follows closely with three, while Oklahoma carried out two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, and Tennessee have each seen one execution. Mississippi is poised to hold its first execution since 2022 on Wednesday. Amidst a surge in executions this year, Department of Corrections spokesperson Ted Veerman remarked there hasn't been a noticeable operational burden, stating: "Our staff are doing a fantastic job keeping up with the pace of these executions. We are going through with these in a professional manner." In the most recent development, attorneys for Gudinas pushed for appeals to the Florida Supreme Court as well as the US Supreme Court, to no avail. The appellants cited "lifelong mental illnesses" as reasons for their client's exemption from the death penalty. Nevertheless, the Florida Supreme Court rejected these appeals just last week, asserting that the legal precedents safeguarding intellectually disabled individuals from capital punishment do not extend to those with other types of mental disorders or brain injuries.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Rapist and killer finally repents as he's executed on death row 30 years later
Thomas Lee Gudinas had been on death row at Florida State Prison near Starke since his conviction in 1995 of the rape and killing of Michelle McGrath in the southeastern state A murderer was executed on death row today - more than 30 years after raping and killing a woman. Thomas Lee Gudinas, 51, finally repented moments before he was given the lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Gudinas died within 14 minutes of the jab, becoming the seventh person to be put to death in Florida alone this year. His final words were largely inaudible but Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, said the sex attacker repented and made a reference to Jesus. The drugs were administered and Gudinas' eyes began to roll back and he underwent slight chest convulsions. He lost colour in his face and went still after several minutes. Gudinas was convicted in 1995 of the rape and killing of Michelle McGrath. A court heard the young woman's body, showing evidence of serious trauma and sexual assault, was found in an alley near a school in the early hours of May 24, 1994. It is understood Gudinas met Ms McGrath in or outside a bar in Orlando, Florida, minutes before the heinous attack. READ MORE: Man brands his flatmate a 'disgusting slob' - and is then found dead days later An eighth execution is scheduled in Florida in July. The state also executed six people in 2023, but only carried out one execution last year. A total of 24 men have been put to death in the US this year, with scheduled executions set to make 2025 the year with the most executions since 2015. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, while Texas and South Carolina are tied for second place with four each. Alabama has executed three people, Oklahoma two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee each have one. Mississippi is set to join the other states on Wednesday with its first execution since 2022. Despite the increased frequency of executions this year, Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman said there's been no significant operational strain. He said yesterday: "Our staff are doing a fantastic job keeping up with the pace of these executions. We are going through with these in a professional manner." The latest case saw attorneys for Gudinas file appeals with the Florida Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court but those were rejected. The lawyers had argued in their state filing that evidence related to "lifelong mental illnesses" exempted Gudinas from being put to death. But the Florida Supreme Court denied the appeals last week, ruling that the case law that shields intellectually disabled people from execution does not apply to individuals with other forms of mental illness or brain damage.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
Killer's last words before being executed for killing homecoming queen
A death row inmate received a lethal injection more than three decades after raping and killing a former homecoming queen who cared for the homeless. Thomas Lee Gudinas, 51, used his last words to repent for slaying Michelle McGrath in 1994, and made a reference to Jesus while strapped to a gurney at the Florida State Prison near Starke. He did not meet with a spiritual adviser. As the drugs entered his system through an IV in his left arm, Gudinas' eyes rolled back and he had some chest convulsions. His face began to lose its color and he rested motionless. He was pronounced dead at 6.13pm on Tuesday, according to Governor Ron DeSantis' spokesman Bryan Griffin. Gudinas only had one visitor, who was his mother. McGrath was Barbarella's bar just before 3am on May 24, 1994, before she vanished. Gudinas was at the same bar with some friends the night before. An employee at a nearby school discovered McGrath's body in an alley hours after she disappeared and claimed to see Gudinas fleeing the area moments before. McGrath's body had signs of sexual assault and severe trauma. Gudinas was convicted of killing McGrath and sentenced to death in 1995. Gudinas was the seventh inmate to be executed in Florida so far this year, and the 24th in the US. More Trending Florida has put more people to death this year than any other state. 'Our staff are doing a fantastic job keeping up with the pace of these executions,' stated Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman on Tuesday. 'And we are going through with these in a professional manner.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Living Nostradamus' issues chilling warning on Trump's Israel-Iran ceasefire MORE: Over 150 people sick in 'mass casualty' event at graduations amid US heatwave MORE: Prisoner said 'that's for Sarah Payne' after stabbing her murderer in his cell
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Economic Times
Australia's most infamous killer is dying and still refuses to reveal where Peter Falconio's body is
Australias most infamous killer, Bradley Murdoch in palliative care Bradley John Murdoch, the man convicted of one of Australia's most chilling crimes, has reportedly been moved from prison to palliative care as he succumbs to terminal cancer. Murdoch, 67, is serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio. According to NT News, the convicted killer was transferred from Darwin Correctional Centre to Alice Springs Hospital last week. Sources inside the facility say he was visibly frail, confined to a wheelchair, and said goodbye to fellow inmates on June 19. 'The Department of Corrections does not comment on the health of individual prisoners,' a spokesperson said. 'Additionally, we do not provide details about prisoner movements or escorts for operational security reasons.'Murdoch was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019. While specific details remain under wraps, multiple media outlets report his condition has significantly worsened in recent months. Peter Falconio, 28, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees, 27, were travelling in a Kombi van through the remote outback north of Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory on July 14, 2001. They were flagged down by Murdoch, who was posing as a motorist in distress. Murdoch shot Falconio and attempted to abduct Lees, who was bound and forced into his vehicle. She escaped and hid in the bush for hours before flagging down a passing a massive search effort, Falconio's body has never been a drug smuggler with a long criminal history, was arrested more than a year later. A Darwin jury unanimously found him guilty of murder in 2005. He was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 28 the Northern Territory's 'no body, no parole' law, introduced in 2016, Murdoch will never be released unless he reveals the location of Falconio's his death may bring some a sense of finality, many, including Falconio's family, fear Murdoch will take the secret of Peter's final resting place to his Lees said in a rare interview in 2017, 'I love Pete so much. I want to bring him home. I need to bring him home.'As Murdoch spends his final days in hospital care, that hope now hangs in the balance.
