Two inmates have been found guilty of assaulting two correctional officers at the South Dakota Penitentiary in 2023.
49 year old Lester M. Monroe and 31 year old Kyle Jones were both found guilty of Attempted First Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Aggravated Assault of a Department of Corrections Employee, and Jones also was found guilty of one count of Simple Assault of a Department of Corrections Employee. The two were convicted Friday by a Minnehaha Circuit Court Jury after a week-long trial. The two will be sentenced at a later date. The maximum sentence is 100 years, as they are subject to double the maximum penalty given their status as prisoners when they committed their crimes.
“This was a violent assault on two of our correctional officers, including one who was 70 years old, doing their job,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Violence in the prison will not be tolerated, and offenders will be held accountable.”
The August 24, 2023 incident occurred in Unit D of the Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls. Both officers were treated and released.
Monroe is serving time for Simple Assault on Law Enforcement out of Minnehaha County and Receiving/Transferring a Stolen Vehicle out of Bennett County. Jones is serving time for First Degree Manslaughter, Eluding a Police Officer and Unauthorized Ingestion of a Controlled Substance, all out of Minnehaha County.
The State Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit investigated the incident. The Attorney General’s Office handled the prosecution.