Tensions high at South Dakota state prison after 2 nights of disruptions

March 30 (UPI) -- Tensions are high at South Dakota's largest prison on Saturday after two nights of disruptions at the facility.

Tea Storm Chasers, a nonprofit media group out of Tea, S.D., posted a live video to X of an incident at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls Thursday night.

Inmates in the video could be heard yelling "we have rights," and "water."

A South Dakota State Employees Association spokesperson told KSFY-TV that inmates also had set fires inside of cells.

KELO-TV reported an unknown alarm could be heard outside the prison and people could be seen carrying a gas mask and a shield inside the prison entrance.

The unrest that occurred Thursday night might be connected to a similar event Wednesday when an inmate allegedly assaulted an officer over an attempt to confiscate a tablet.

Gov. Kristi Noem said as of March 8 inmates could no longer use tablets to communicate with the outside due to some of them using the devices for unspecified illegal activity.

Corrections officers described the incidents as mere "disruptions" rather than full on riots, but acknowledged that they could have easily spilled out of control.

The state Department of Corrections said a search for contraband is underway following the incidents.

The tablets at the prison are similar to iPads but have limited functions and operate in what is supposed to be a closed network. Noem asked the state to "see if it's possible for prisoners to have these tablets and have them not be used for nefarious reasons."

Eric Ollila, director of the South Dakota State Employees Organization, said "maybe the technology has leaped over the security features" but noted the tablets may be part of a broader problem involving inconsistent disciplinary measures.

"I think we all knew, just from the coverage, that the tablets are apparently the issue. But is it a tablet thing, or is it something larger?" Ollila said. "What kinds of policies are in place that allow them to do this, and what impact do those policies have on the safety of the correctional officers?"

Senior corrections officer Scott Schlagel told KELO the prison suffers from being understaffed, putting more stress on corrections officers, which in turn affects the mood of inmates.

Inmate enrichment activities such as the carpentry and paint shops also have been shut down, Schlagel said.

"I understand where the inmates are coming from, I really do. You know, when you take a lot of stuff away, and you take the rewarding good behavior away, you are going to create a hostile environment, and that's what is happening right now," he said.

The Sioux Falls state penitentiary houses about 1,400 inmates. It was built in 1881 before South Dakota became a state.