SIOUX FALLS - In the South Dakota State Penitentiary, inmates have plenty to do besides their time.
They can also learn to read, earn a high school diploma, and work and train in the Pheasantland Industries in the prison, which makes signs, T-shirt logos, furniture, wooden toys, upholstered seat cushions and, of course, license plates.
They might learn to provide Braille services for the state library and teachers and students, or work in data entry and processing for state agencies.
Or they can serve or wash or cook in the prison food service or perform custodial duties and, when qualified and granted special trusted status, join hundreds of inmates outside the prison system on construction, maintenance, landscaping and other crews across the state.
"Work is absolutely considered a privilege," Warden Doug Weber said. "When a job comes available for an inmate to do, he's ready to work. They rarely turn it down."
And with several religions being practiced in approved ceremonies through the penitentiary, inmates - from Catholic to Wiccan to Muslim - have opportunities to develop their spiritual life while they're working their way to freedom.
"We have eight different types of religion practiced here in the penitentiary right now, and close to 100 religious activities a week here in Sioux Falls," lead cultural activities director Jennifer Wagner said. "Right now those are Asatru, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Native American and Wiccan."
During a recent media tour of the penitentiary, Native American inmates were building a fire and preparing for a sweat-lodge ceremony in one of the outside "yards" within the prison.
A small group of Muslims was meeting in one room in the maximum-security Jameson Annex, while three Wiccans met in another.
Inmates also may be involved in drug- or alcohol-treatment programs. Inmates go through a chemical-dependency assessment when they enter the penitentiary. And depending on the year, one-third to a half will be assessed with abuse or dependency issues.
Laurie Feiler, deputy secretary of the state Department of Corrections in Pierre, said treating that problem is essential to the inmates' well-being and chances to succeed someday outside of prison.
"We're real serious about getting people access to those kinds of services, and I think we're making some progress," Feiler said.
Methamphetamine is the dominant substance abuse problem for inmates entering the women's prison in Pierre. For men at the penitentiary, alcohol is still No. 1.
In 2006, 32 percent of men were diagnosed with an alcohol problem when they entered the state prison system, but last year it was lower at 24 percent, Feiler said.
Most prisoners will be allowed visits from people on an approved list, including family, friends, clergy and lawyers. Most visits will be "contact" visits, where the inmates sit with and are allowed brief embraces and other limited physical contact with family and friends.
Weber said the penitentiary is committed to the visits and their role in helping the inmates continue relationships with family and friends.
"We need to do everything within our power to allow those guys to maintain those family connections while they're in here," he said.
Inmates also are allowed a list of 15 telephone numbers they may call locally or, when long distance, collect or through a debit phone account.
Inmates may send and receive personal letters, although most are likely to be opened, inspected and possibly read by prison staff. Inmates also may receive approved books and magazines directly from the publisher.
The last stage of the rehabilitation for men in the penitentiary is a community transition program.
It allows inmates to begin the transition to the outside world before they actually leave.
They reside in Department of Corrections facilities at the penitentiary or elsewhere in the state, get a job, begin a bank account and work with program coordinators to find a place to live and a means of transportation to work.
When they have all that set up plus at least $1,500 in the bank, they are officially paroled.
Feiler believes that program has been instrumental in the recent leveling off of the prison population.
"I think there's been a slowing down in some of the crime numbers," she said.
"But I also think there's a real effort to try to address the issues causing people to have trouble when they get out."
Substance abuse
- Methamphetamine is the dominant substance abuse problem for inmates entering the women's prison in Pierre.
- For men at the penitentiary, alcohol is still No. 1. In 2006, 32 percent of men were diagnosed with an alcohol problem when they entered the state prison system, while last year it was lower at 24 percent, according to Laurie Feiler, deputy secretary of the state Department of Corrections.
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