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State officials report inmate deaths

Photo of a cell in the 144-year-old men's penitentiary.
Courtesy
/
Department of Corrections
Photo of a cell in the 144-year-old men's penitentiary.

South Dakota Department of Correction officials say two inmates died over the long holiday weekend.

Thirty-seven-year-old Larry Franklin died Thursday. The Department of Corrections says the cause of his death is under investigation.

Twenty-one-year-old Ray Jackson passed away Friday. Officials say he died by suicide.

The Department of Corrections has reported an increase in inmate deaths over the past year. Twenty-three inmates have died in custody since the beginning of 2025, including five in November.