Daugaard says SD studying why prison population so high

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PIERRE (AP) — Gov. Dennis Daugaard says state officials are studying why South Dakota locks up offenders at a much higher rate than neighboring states do.

State officials have said 416 of every 100,000 people in South Dakota are incarcerated. That's much higher than the rates in most nearby states.

In an appearance on the Dakota News Network radio stations, Daugaard on Monday said South Dakota should hold people accountable for the crimes they commit. But he says South Dakota may be able to use house arrest, electronic monitors and other methods to cut the cost of protecting the public from lawbreakers.

The governor says it's not a question of whether South Dakota is soft on crime or hard on crime. He says the state has to be smart on crime.

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