A Mitchell woman had a five-year suspended prison sentence reinstated Tuesday after she admitted earlier this year to violating her probation.
Kiyah Tee Pease, 21, was given credit by Judge Sean O'Brien for 63 days served. She will be eligible for parole in 22 months.
Pease violated her probation by being discharged from the New Start for Women rehabilitation program in Sioux Falls, which violated a probation requirement to complete all treatment as directed.
The dismissal stemmed from a disagreement over the program's instructions that a then-pregnant Pease quit smoking.
"That stress led to a deteriorating relationship and the eventual discharge unsuccessfully from the program," Carlson said earlier this year.
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In 2010, Pease was sentenced to enter rehabilitation after admitting probation violations, including consuming alcohol and marijuana while pregnant. Earlier that year, she received a suspended fiveyear sentence for aggravated assault.
"Probation hasn't worked in the past. It won't work, in my opinion, in the future," O'Brien said. "You just need to serve the sentence."
Pease sobbed as she left the courtroom, saying she did not deserve the sentence.
But in his sentence recommendation, Davison County State's Attorney Pat Smith seemed fed up with Pease's numerous probation violations.
"Do we want to continue to burden court services with someone who doesn't want to help themselves? It doesn't seem fair," Smith said.
