South Dakota’s 50% Recidivism Rate Splits the GOP Governor Race
South Dakota’s two remaining Republican governor candidates put prison policy at the center of their July 28 runoff contest during back-to-back speeches at the state Republican convention in Rapid City on June 26, 2026.
Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden disagree on the cause of the state’s recidivism problem, and their disagreement points to a real divide inside the South Dakota GOP about corrections philosophy.
50% of people released from South Dakota prisons return within three years, according to the state Department of Corrections’ latest annual report.
Doeden cited that figure directly, calling South Dakota’s rate the third worst in the country. He used it to argue that the current administration has failed on rehabilitation. Rhoden did not dispute the number. He said the cause is overcrowding, not programming failure.
Rhoden Points to $650 Million Prison as His Answer
Rhoden’s central rebuttal is a new men’s prison under construction in northeast Sioux Falls. The $650 million facility, approved by the legislature in September 2025, will replace the oldest sections of the state’s 145-year-old Sioux Falls penitentiary. Rhoden says the project was funded without debt using money set aside by lawmakers over several years.
Rhoden’s argument is that overcrowded cells, not policy neglect, are blocking rehabilitation programming. “We have three prisoners stacked in rooms that are built for one,” he said. “We have no room for programming.”
Doeden has not detailed a competing corrections plan in public, but his candidacy frames Rhoden’s tenure as the problem. Rhoden placed second in the June 2 four-way primary with 25% of the vote. Doeden led with 31%. Because neither reached the 35% threshold required to win outright, both advanced to the July 28 runoff.
The Runoff Will Shape South Dakota Corrections for a Decade
The winner will govern a state where more than one in two released prisoners returns to custody within three years. That rate carries real costs for communities, families, and the corrections budget. The new Sioux Falls prison is already under construction regardless of who wins, but the programming investments, sentencing priorities, and parole policies that determine recidivism will follow whoever takes office in January 2027.
National ranking comparisons carry uncertainty. Recidivism is defined differently across states, so Doeden’s “third worst” claim is difficult to verify independently. Rhoden has acknowledged the rate is “higher than any of our neighboring states.”
Neither candidate has agreed to a one-on-one debate. The three debates held before the primary included all four candidates. Rhoden has declined to debate Doeden in a two-person format, meaning Friday’s convention speeches may be the closest comparison voters get before July 28.
What You Can Do Now
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Register or verify your registration before the July 28 runoff. South Dakota’s registration deadline is July 13, 2026. Check your status or register at vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote. Only registered Republicans can vote in the runoff.
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Contact the South Dakota Department of Corrections directly at (605) 367-5190 and ask for the latest annual recidivism report and programming budget breakdown. Public pressure for transparency on the 50% rate can shape how candidates are held accountable before July 28.
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Ask your state legislative candidates where they stand on corrections programming funding. The new Sioux Falls prison costs $650 million and is already approved. The next fight will be over programming dollars inside it. Call the South Dakota Legislature’s main line at (605) 773-3251 and ask your district’s incumbent or candidate what rehabilitation investment they will support in the 2027 session.
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Share the South Dakota Searchlight voter guide with South Dakota residents in your network. It covers both runoff candidates’ positions. Direct people to southdakotasearchlight.com so they read coverage from the state’s own independent newsroom, not national outlets summarizing the race.
Sources
South Dakota Searchlight: Republican Governor Candidates Spar Over Prison Policy in Dueling Speeches South Dakota Department of Corrections: Annual Report Citing 50% Three-Year Recidivism Rate South Dakota Searchlight: Voter Guide for 2026 Republican Governor Nomination Runoff