Sheriff Howell Outlines April Statistics; Details Massive Financial Impacts of State Prison Capacity Backlog

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County Sheriff Brad Howell delivered a detailed monthly report to county commissioners on Tuesday morning, reporting steady law enforcement activity for April 2026 while shedding light on severe, costly gridlock tied to the South Dakota state prison system.

Financially, the Sheriff’s Office generated revenue for the county treasury, processing $21,161.02 in standard office fees. An additional $1,728.31 was captured through county commissions on automated jail services, including lobby ATMs, booking kiosks, and inmate commissary sales. Out-of-county prisoner housing contracts brought in $14,304.97, inmate work-release fees totaled $2,250.00, and the county’s 24/7 sobriety program brought in $11,578.00.

April 2026 Operations Data

The Sheriff’s Office managed a diverse operational workload over the course of the month:

·         Total Cases & Calls for Service: 496

·         Completed Accident Reports: 9

·         Warrants Actively Served: 71

·         Civil Papers Processed: 209

·         Inmate Bookings: 226

·         Total Transport Distances: 2,072 miles across 11 separate regional transfers involving 18 inmates.

Sobriety and alternative-sentencing compliance tracking programs remained heavily active, supporting 130 active participants. This included 16 individuals on secure continuous remote alcohol monitoring (SCRAM) bracelets, 9 on remote breathalyzers, 46 reporting for twice-daily preliminary breath tests (PBTs), 57 on twice-weekly urinalysis drug screenings, and 2 utilizing sweat-patch monitoring.

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