PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a former Department of Corrections employee has been sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to crimes involving a prison inmate.
Madyson Bixby of Sioux Falls, 22, was sentenced Tuesday in Minnehaha County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to one felony count of Compounding a Felony and one felony count of Possession of an Unauthorized Article (a cellphone with intent to deliver to an inmate). She was sentenced to two years in prison, both suspended, on each count, and 48 months of probation. Prosecutors had asked for four years in the state prison.
“This defendant violated the trust of the Department of Corrections and put others at risk,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Cases like this are why I have prioritized improving corrections, and I look forward to working with our Legislature to improve corrections and strengthen our laws to hold offenders more accountable.”
The charges were connected to an investigation involving an inmate conspiring with another person to burn someone else’s car on Jan. 4 2024 in Sioux Falls. The defendant also brought a cellphone into the prison and delivered it to the inmate.
As part of his 2025 legislative priorities, Attorney General Jackley is proposing to revise provisions related to the delivery, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of unauthorized articles by inmates in a state correctional facility. “The Attorney General’s legislation seeks to protect our correctional officers from devices being used to put our officers and other inmates in danger,” said Attorney General Jackley.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the South Dakota Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
