Eight South Dakota inmate overdose deaths in 2025, a recent-memory high; attorney general has charged four cases including a former prison employee
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South Dakota Searchlight reported in December 2025 that eight inmates died of overdoses in 2025, more than in any year in recent memory for the Department of Corrections, with seven suspected or confirmed to involve the synthetic drug K2. Attorney General Marty Jackley said his office had charged four of the eight cases by late January 2026, including a former Department of Corrections medical aide and, in a Mike Durfee State Prison death, 11 people indicted in an alleged smuggling conspiracy that included one person Jackley described as employed by the prison (the charging documents list a former state employee). The charges are allegations; four cases remained under investigation as of Jan. 26, 2026.
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