Maximum security (men) · State Prison · SD DOC

South Dakota State Penitentiary

Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (605) 367-5051 Info last verified: June 2026

South Dakota's oldest prison, in Sioux Falls; the state's maximum-custody flagship for men, holding the men's death row and the state execution chamber. Its G. Norton Jameson Annex is the statewide men's reception unit.

Statewide rules that apply at SD DOC prisons

These rules are set by SD DOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in South Dakota.

Dress code

Dress modestly — South Dakota facilities enforce a visiting dress code; avoid revealing or provocative clothing, anything gang-related, and anything resembling what people in custody or staff wear.
Each facility sets and enforces its own specifics and may turn a visitor away for dressing out of code, so confirm the dress code with the facility before traveling.

ID: Every visitor must be approved on the person's visitor list before visiting, and a government-issued photo ID is required to enter. Confirm the application process and acceptable identification with the facility.
What to bring: Bring only what the facility allows — phones and other electronics are not permitted in the visiting room, and most personal items must be left out. Confirm vending and item rules with the facility; money for an account is sent through the DOC's vendors, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Video visits are scheduled through the statewide ViaPath scheduler (sddoc.gtlvisitme.com); in-person visiting days and hours are set by each prison, so confirm the current schedule with the facility. Men enter the system at the South Dakota State Penitentiary complex in Sioux Falls (the Jameson Annex reception unit); women at the South Dakota Women's Prison in Pierre.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in South Dakota

Overview

The South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP), known locally as “The Hill,” is a state prison for men in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County. It is operated by the South Dakota Department of Corrections (SD DOC). It is the oldest prison in the state system, dating to the territorial period in 1881, and serves as the state’s maximum-custody flagship, with medium- and minimum-custody housing as well.

SDSP holds men across custody levels, including a maximum-custody and restrictive-housing population and men under a death sentence. Because custody assignments and housing change, the prison listed on the SD DOC Offender Locator may differ from where a person was previously held; the locator searches by DOC number and name.

What Makes the South Dakota State Penitentiary Different

It is South Dakota’s oldest prison, in operation in Sioux Falls since the territorial period in 1881, and the state’s maximum-custody flagship for men.
The G. Norton Jameson Annex is part of the SDSP complex. The Annex, inside the prison’s secure perimeter, houses the maximum-custody and segregation units and the statewide men’s Admissions and Orientation (A&O) reception unit, where men entering SD DOC custody are processed and classified. People housed in the Annex are located and receive mail under the South Dakota State Penitentiary.
It holds the men’s death row and the state execution chamber. South Dakota has an active death penalty; the most recent execution was in 2019, and one man is currently under a death sentence. South Dakota does not have a separate women’s death-sentence designation.
It is slated to be replaced. The aging penitentiary is to be succeeded by a new men’s prison under construction in northeast Sioux Falls, expected to open around 2029. SDSP remains fully operational in the meantime.

Visiting

The statewide SD DOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at the South Dakota State Penitentiary. The facility’s own arrangements:

Getting There and Parking

The South Dakota State Penitentiary is at 1600 North Drive in Sioux Falls, in eastern South Dakota near Interstate 90 and Interstate 29. Sioux Falls is the state’s largest city, roughly three and a half hours east of Pierre. Confirm visiting arrangements and the person’s custody and visitation status before making the trip.

Nearby Services

Sioux Falls is a regional hub with lodging, fuel, and restaurants throughout the city and along the interstate corridors. Hospital emergency services are available in Sioux Falls.

Mail

South Dakota DOC scans incoming personal mail and delivers it to the incarcerated person’s prison tablet rather than handing over the original paper — a policy adopted to keep drug-soaked paper out of the prisons. The scanning is done in-house at the facility; letters are still addressed to the prison itself, and South Dakota does not use an out-of-state mail vendor.

Address personal mail to the person at the facility, with their full name and DOC number:

Full name and DOC number South Dakota State Penitentiary 1600 North Drive, PO Box 5911 Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5911

Every envelope must show the person’s full name and DOC number and a complete return address, or it can be rejected. Cards must be plain (no stickers, glitter, musical or electronic, multi-layered, or homemade cards); photos must be 4x6 and not Polaroid. Books and magazines must be new and shipped directly from a publisher, distributor, or retailer; used books from third-party marketplaces are generally not accepted. Legal mail goes directly to the facility and is opened and inspected for contraband in the person’s presence rather than scanned.

Confirm the current mail policy and address with the South Dakota DOC before sending anything, as mail and tablet rules change.

Learn More

Visiting in South Dakota — getting on the approved visitor list, scheduling, and what to expect at the prison.
Mail in South Dakota — how scanned mail works, what you can send, and the correct address.
Phone & Video in South Dakota — setting up ViaPath calls and scheduling video visits.
Sending Money in South Dakota — how to add money to phone and trust accounts.
Medical Care in South Dakota — how health care works and what care costs.
Intake & Transfers in South Dakota — where people enter the system and how they move between facilities.

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.