PIERRE, S.D. ( South Dakota News Watch ) -Jacob Gale spent a year as a correctional officer for the South Dakota Department of Corrections, working mostly at the Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls, a maximum-security facility. He thought working in the prisons would provide a promising career.

Instead, he encountered inadequate training, safety issues and a lack of support from his superiors, Gale told News Watch. He also said he was retaliated against when he spoke about the problems he saw, such as rampant drug use.

“It was like a pharmacy up there,” said Gale, who resigned from the DOC in September.

Leadership shakeup

The resignation of Kellie Wasko, secretary of the Department of Corrections, became effective Monday. Wasko submitted her resignation in the lead-up to the vote on a new p

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