Inmate dies Thursday after being located unresponsive by state prison staff

Aug. 4—SIOUX FALLS — An inmate has died after being found unresponsive at the South Dakota State Penitentiary.

According to a press release from the South Dakota Department of Corrections, 30-year-old Jordan Ward was discovered unresponsive in his cell in the overnight hours of Wednesday into Thursday.

Though life-saving measures were taken by those at the scene, he was eventually declared deceased.

Ward was sentenced to 15 years prison in January after he was convicted of first-degree burglary in Brown County. That sentence was being served concurrently for two other convictions, including possession of a controlled substance and serving as an accessory to a crime.

While no additional information was released surrounding the death, the Department of Corrections has opened an investigation.