More than half of the prisoners that former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem released early without sending their cases through the state parole board have subsequently faced new criminal charges, according to a review by the South Dakota Searchlight.
Noem exercised her executive clemency powers to release a number of inmates ahead of schedule, bypassing the standard parole board process that exists to assess reintegration risk.
The decision drew criticism at the time from legal observers and criminal justice advocates who argued the board served an important gatekeeping function.
The recharging rate uncovered by the Searchlight raises pointed questions about the consequences of bypassing that oversight mechanism. Critics argue the data suggests the parole board’s assessments carry practical value in identifying which prisoners are genuinely ready for release and which present ongoing public safety concerns.
Noem, who went on to serve as US Secretary of Homeland Security under the Trump administration, had championed her clemency decisions as an exercise of executive discretion. Supporters framed them as an attempt to reduce prison overcrowding and give deserving inmates a second chance. The new figures complicate that narrative significantly.
South Dakota’s parole board evaluates factors including institutional behaviour, rehabilitation programme participation, support networks, and risk assessments before recommending release.
The process is designed to be deliberate, and the data emerging from the Noem releases suggests that circumventing it had measurable consequences for public safety in the state.
