Another man found dead in his cell at South Dakota State Penitentiary
People hold signs at a protest on May 23, 2025, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)
The state is investigating another death in Department of Corrections custody.
Nicholas Skorka, 42, died at the South Dakota State Penitentiary on Tuesday, according to a press release.
The release did not list a cause of death for Skorka. He is the 10th person to die in the department's custody this year and the fourth that will be subject to scrutiny by the state Division of Criminal Investigation, the investigative arm of the Attorney General's Office.
10 injured in prison violence days after protests over security and inmate treatment
The death certificate for one of the investigated cases, that of 20-year-old Anthony Richards, lists the cause of his February death as an overdose of 'synthetic cannabinoid 5F-ADB,' a drug sometimes referred to as K2. Two other inmates, 39-year-old Jason Garreau and 24-year-old Joshua Arrow, died days apart late last month. Arrow's official death certificate has yet to be filed; Garreau's was filed last week and lists methamphetamine toxicity' as his cause of death.
Wednesday's release did not say if Skorka's death is being investigated as drug-related. An autopsy for Skorka, whose body was found in his cell, will take place Thursday.
'DCI will do a thorough investigation, and we will determine what additional action is needed pending the results of that investigation,' Attorney General Marty Jackley said in the release.
On May 29, Department of Corrections spokesman Michael Winder sent a notice saying the department had busted a drug ring at the penitentiary. Its staff seized shipments of drugs intended for delivery to Sioux Falls inmates via the mail and parcels delivered by visitors to inmates.
'If the results of the investigation warrant prosecution,' that day's news release said, 'criminal charges will be sought.'
Jackley's spokesman Tony Mangan told South Dakota Searchlight on Wednesday that no charges have been filed for actions tied to the drug ring or in-custody deaths.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘He Didn't Have to Die': Family demands answers after inmate found dead weeks before release
A Georgia prison inmate, just weeks away from his release date, is dead, and now his family wants to know why. Dominique Cole died on Sunday inside the Wilcox State Prison. 'And within nine days, my son was dead,' Resley Cole told Channel 2's Audrey Washington. Cole's family said just days after the Department of Corrections transferred Cole from a mental health facility in Johnson County to the Wilcox State Prison, south of Macon, the 37-year-old was dead. 'It's heartbreaking. It's like he was taken from us twice,' Cole's uncle John-Paul Moore said. 'If the state knew that he had a mental health problem and that he has ASPD, why was he put back in a regular facility?' Resley Cole said. ASPD stands for antisocial personality disorder. TRENDING STORIES: Manhunt underway after woman, child shot, killed at DeKalb apartment complex 'He's just out there': Grandmother very concerned about Clayton State student missing from hospital Man found guilty of killing Gwinnett County father at baby shower learns his fate Resley Cole said he learned his son died when the warden at the prison called on Sunday. 'Saying my son had an encounter with a different inmate and that he did not survive,' he said. Resley Cole said though the warden told him another inmate attacked his son, he still wants to know for sure and why. He said his pleas for information have gone unanswered. 'I have not heard from them since,' he said. Washington reached out to the Georgia Department of Corrections. A spokesperson confirmed that Cole's body was sent to the GBI crime lab to determine how he died. Channel 2 Action News has also filed an open records request to get more information about Cole's death. 'He had two beautiful daughters. Two daughters that he was going to have a future with,' Resley Moore said. 'He didn't have to die.' Representatives with the GDC said that because the investigation is ongoing, they cannot release too many details at this time.
Boston Globe
10 hours ago
- Boston Globe
R.I. prisons did not accommodate Native American religious practices for three inmates, lawsuit alleges
Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up But the state Department of Corrections 'has adopted no policies for accommodating Native American religious practices,' according to the complaint. Advertisement 'This is not a new problem,' the lawsuit states. 'For years Native American prisoners have complained about the absence of any religious accommodations at the ACI, but RIDOC has ignored those concerns.' Related : In an email on Friday, J.R. Ventura, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, wrote, 'Since this is currently under litigation, we are unable to comment on the matter.' The lawsuit comes after the Department of Corrections settled a federal lawsuit brought by the ACLU and the clinic last year, which Advertisement Under the agreement announced last month, Wolf Pawochawog-Mequinosh will be permitted to wear the headband. The department was also required to adopt a process within 120 days that allows all prisoners to seek approval to obtain religious items and to attend services for their religion, the ACLU said in May. The case was slated to remain open, however, 'until the agency complies with that requirement,' the organization said. On Friday, the ACLU said that although Pawochawog-Mequinosh was allowed to obtain and wear the headband, the department 'did not agree to any similar accommodations for other prisoners.' 'We have brought suit once again to ensure that incarcerated persons who follow religious traditions of Native Americans are able to practice their religion behind bars and that their efforts to do so are not ignored or disrespected,' Lynette Labinger, an ACLU of Rhode Island cooperating attorney, said in a statement on Friday. 'Federal law and the First Amendment require that even in prison, the custodians do not get to dictate what is an accepted religion and how it should be practiced.' In the latest lawsuit, Smith is described as having religious beliefs 'based on the traditions of the Abenaki and Méti tribes, which are part of the Wabanaki Tribal Nation, as taught to him by his father and other family members.' 'Before his incarceration, Mr. Smith regularly engaged in the traditional Native American practice of burning sage to cleanse his space of negative energy and negative feelings,' the complaint states. 'Mr. Smith has a sincere belief that burning sage brings him closer to the earth, provides spiritual healing, and is a necessary component of his religious practice that connects him to the Creator.' Advertisement Moreino's religious beliefs 'are based on the traditions of the Narragansett tribe,' the lawsuit states. He wants to 'learn more and engage in practices arising out of Narragansett spiritual beliefs so that he can provide spiritual guidance to his children and pass down his cultural beliefs and practices,' according to the complaint. 'As a parent, Mr. Moreino feels strongly that a connection to spirituality is a core component of a person's identity and hopes to continue Native American traditions through his own children,' the lawsuit states. Shepard also has religious beliefs 'based on the traditions of the Narragansett tribe,' and he has 'made many attempts to explore and learn more about Native spiritual practices during his incarceration, including contacting the Narragansett tribe to establish his ancestral lineage and if possible to become a registered member of the tribe,' according to the lawsuit. 'Mr. Shepard has been seeking to deepen his spiritual practice and has sought information in the mail to learn the Nipmuck language, an Eastern Algonquian language,' the lawsuit states. 'He believes that learning the language will help deepen his connection to his culture and spirituality.' The parties allege the Department of Corrections has violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and are seeking a court order to require the agency to accommodate their religious beliefs, according to the ACLU. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Another man found dead in his cell at South Dakota State Penitentiary
People hold signs at a protest on May 23, 2025, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) The state is investigating another death in Department of Corrections custody. Nicholas Skorka, 42, died at the South Dakota State Penitentiary on Tuesday, according to a press release. The release did not list a cause of death for Skorka. He is the 10th person to die in the department's custody this year and the fourth that will be subject to scrutiny by the state Division of Criminal Investigation, the investigative arm of the Attorney General's Office. 10 injured in prison violence days after protests over security and inmate treatment The death certificate for one of the investigated cases, that of 20-year-old Anthony Richards, lists the cause of his February death as an overdose of 'synthetic cannabinoid 5F-ADB,' a drug sometimes referred to as K2. Two other inmates, 39-year-old Jason Garreau and 24-year-old Joshua Arrow, died days apart late last month. Arrow's official death certificate has yet to be filed; Garreau's was filed last week and lists methamphetamine toxicity' as his cause of death. Wednesday's release did not say if Skorka's death is being investigated as drug-related. An autopsy for Skorka, whose body was found in his cell, will take place Thursday. 'DCI will do a thorough investigation, and we will determine what additional action is needed pending the results of that investigation,' Attorney General Marty Jackley said in the release. On May 29, Department of Corrections spokesman Michael Winder sent a notice saying the department had busted a drug ring at the penitentiary. Its staff seized shipments of drugs intended for delivery to Sioux Falls inmates via the mail and parcels delivered by visitors to inmates. 'If the results of the investigation warrant prosecution,' that day's news release said, 'criminal charges will be sought.' Jackley's spokesman Tony Mangan told South Dakota Searchlight on Wednesday that no charges have been filed for actions tied to the drug ring or in-custody deaths. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
